


Eight Days of Gifts

by missema



Series: Kirkwall Tech [17]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Christmas Shopping, Drinking, F/M, Family, Family Issues, Flirting, Fluff, Friendship, Gift Giving, Holidays, Intimacy, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Prison, Satinalia, Shopping, The Chantry, Therapy, Wine, early presents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-17
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-02-15 09:38:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 46,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13028304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missema/pseuds/missema
Summary: For the first Satinalia in years, Sebastian won't be alone. He's celebrating with the Hawke family and he and Melissa are exchanging the traditional seven days of gifts.She wants it to be a chance for her family to have the traditional celebration they could never afford. He wants to impress them all, and show her how much he cares. Things don't quite go to plan.This was supposed to be holiday fluff, but it's full of family drama, decisions, life-changing revelations and annoying interruptions to a peaceful vacation. I'm not sorry.





	1. Thursday Night

Thursday night

It was cold in Kirkwall this winter, so cold that Melissa felt compelled to sit wrapped in a blanket on the couch, reading her textbook for Probabilistic Combinatorics. It was a hybrid class between the Comp Sci department and Mathematics, and since it was graduate level, it was the only real class she had this semester. She was sitting on her couch, blanket over her and an empty mug of tea on the table. Her laptop was nearby, as was a notebook, but she liked to just read the chapter first and then go back to take notes.

She wasn't getting very far that evening. It was too close to Satinalia break, the week they got off for the holiday celebrations before the two week slide into finals began. Three weeks from now, they'd be out of school for the semester, a solid month of uninterrupted time to rest. She wasn't going to be working at all for once, and Melissa was looking forward to the vast expanse of nothingness a whole month off work and school represented.

There was the heady desire to do absolutely nothing, but she wanted Sebastian around to do nothing with her. It was always more fun to do nothing when he was around. For a few minutes she was lost in thought planning out the break to come, thinking about all the little things she could do with a month of idle time and no pressing needs. Cold nipped at her feet and she burrowed deeper until her knitted blanket, tucking her toes up underneath her. She could knit herself a new blanket during that time, though she doubted she would finish it before the end of break unless she really focused.

The door slammed, and Isabela entered on a gust of icy wind from the hallway, her expression a cross between annoyance and bemusement. She looked over at Melissa on the couch and started. "Hawke, I thought you'd be out with Andraste's chosen fratboy!"

She always called Sebastian some sort of nickname these days, and Melissa took it as a sign of the increased friendliness between the two of them. Melissa shook her head at Isabela, loose tendrils of hair falling from her messy ponytail as she did.

"No, he had something else to do tonight, so it's just me and good old Combinatorics."

"You do love counting things," Isabela said, stripped off her bulky winter gear. She was wearing a heavy coat, hat, gloves, scarf and fur-lined boots that went past her knees. Her thin Rivaini blood grew cold at the slightest hint of winter, and she was all bundled up. "I had such a fucking day. You won't believe this, Luis' wife, well, his widow now, she's here in Kirkwall."

"Why?" Melissa asked, wrinkling her nose. She put the textbook on the coffee table, not even trying to pretend that her study session was productive.

"To harass me!"

"For the money?"

"Of course. Why else would she come here? Luckily, your lovely boyfriend was as good as his word this summer. His family works magic with sovereigns, and it's all there, earning interest. She was going on and on about how Luis would have wanted it to be put to good use, like that bastard would have cared." She snorted her disbelief and went on, "Anyway, I told her I donated some of it the Chantry already, and she could take it up with the Grand Cleric and Viscount. The rest of it is unavailable right now, to me and to her. I know if I hadn't told her that, she would drag me into some arbitration, telling me that I hadn't fulfilled the terms of inheritance. I made sure I did, Sebastian's family double checked that I did."

"Unavailable to you?" Melissa asked.

"Yes, well, I know how I am. I don't need the money, not really, and I like working. I'd just spend it. We would go on vacation, wear designer swimsuits, rent a luxury villa on the beach for a week and take amazing photos, but have little else to show for it. I didn't want it gone completely, not if I could help it. I might need it later and then where will I be?" Isabela came over to where Melissa sat on the couch and laid down, putting her head where the book had just been. Melissa idly stroked her hair, and felt Isabela start to calm.

They rarely had such time these days, because Melissa spent most of her nights with Sebastian. When she was working all the time and doing her homework late at night, Isabela would sit up with her, they'd talk, work, drink, nap and generally be up too late together. Though she wouldn't trade her nights with Sebastian, that time together was important to her, she knew it took away from time with Bela. She missed those nightly sessions, but knew that Isabela was at the apartment even less than she was these days. Bela's schedule had opened right up for the last year, and she had no reason to stay inside and study all of the time and was rarely at the apartment.

"You've a right to be upset," Melissa said, pushing Bela's hair back from her ears and forehead.

"Luis makes me so angry, and I hate everything to do with him. I hate his wife and I don't even know her, just because he's part of her. She was wearing a veil of mourning, like a Chantry sister. Do you know how disturbing it is to have a veiled woman in head to toe black waiting for you? I almost stabbed her before she could get a word out." Isabela sighed heavily. "I don't want to be angry anymore, I don't want his influence in my life. I've been upset since she popped up behind me after my morning class. Now I just want her to be gone and for you to be comforting."

"It's your money, she can't even begin to touch it," Melissa said, her voice softer this time.

"Don't I know it! I just don't want any reminders of him. Not his stupid wife, not anything from his house, nothing more. Just the money, for me to enjoy freely. Is that too much to ask?"

"Not at all."

They lapsed into silence together, and after a while, Isabela spoke again. "I was planning to go away for Satinalia anyway, and I think I will. While _she_ ," Isabela spat out the word as if it were poisonous, "was bothering me, I managed to find a few interesting last minute flights out of here, and those specials they always run around the holidays. I just hadn't booked one."

"Where are you thinking?" Melissa asked. Only school held Isabela in one place for so long, and she got itchy to leave at the end of every semester. Isabela had spent her summer in Kirkwall, working, and she was ready to quit the city at any time. It was a pressing enough feeling that Melissa worried Isabela wouldn't make it until graduation.

"There's always Orlais, but ugh, then Orlesians. Not Antiva, I don't want to run into anyone I'm trying to avoid. But Ferelden has that traditional snowy thing going on right now, and I do so love Fereldans."

"We are an enjoyable bunch," Melissa said.

"I might be able to abide the cold for good company in Denerim. Or better yet, Highever. The water is so much clearer on the north coast. I love watching the harbor there."

"Funny how it never looks that clear when we're looking at the sea same from Kirkwall."

"Kirkwall's got all that rock in the water when you're coming up to it. It's a nightmare. Supposedly it was carved that way by the magisters to make it hard to approach." She sat up, apparently done with Melissa's comfort, and grinned at her. "I think I will go to Highever. Amaranthine is a shitty city, but it's got decent nightlife. I could stop there first."

"You're always welcome at Mother's for Satinalia," Melissa began, but Isabela shook her head.

"No thanks, Hawke. That brat Luis died on will probably find me there if I don't get out of the city. But I should give you your gift now, since I'll have to pack tomorrow."

Isabela bounced into her room, renewed, and Melissa got up to go find her gift for Isabela. It wasn't much, honestly, Isabela wasn't the type to keep stuff around her. As much as she liked shopping, she bored of things easily, gave them away, and hated clutter. Melissa was the opposite, she was used to not having much, so she kept what she had, and wound up with Isabela's cast offs from time to time. Her room had grown more cramped since Mother had opened the vault in the Hawke estate and she'd finished her internship and had a little more money to throw around.

Her mother texted as she went into the bedroom to retrieve her gift. "Ask Sebastian if he'll take me to the store before next Friday so I can get what I need for Satinalia dinner. Love you, Mother."

He would, she knew he loved helping Mother. She'd call talk to him later and ask, or he'd call her. Melissa smiled to herself, and grabbed the wrapped gift from where she'd hidden it deep within an old backpack.

#

Gavin looked at Sebastian over the top of a massive cup of coffee and nodded. "It's good to see you again. How has your week been, Sebastian?"

Sebastian settled into the comfortable chair he always chose when he went to his counseling sessions and took a sip of water before answering. He'd tried to be more regular about coming to therapy this semester, but this was the first time he'd made it twice in a month in a while. "It's been busy. Our pledges were initiated as brothers recently, and I oversaw that ceremony."

"A happy time for all. I know how hard you've worked to make the group better."

"Yes, I'm proud of them," Sebastian agreed absently. "Classes are demanding, as always, but not unduly. And Melissa and I are still together. I'm spending the holidays with her family."

"Is this your first time meeting them?" Gavin asked.

So much time had passed where he hadn't been coming, it was hard to keep track of everything he'd told Gavin. Sebastian thought back on all the time he'd accumulated with Melissa's family since he'd met them over the summer and smiled. He liked them all, in their way, even Carver.

His fingers absently traced the familiar floral pattern of the couch he sat on, comfort in the worn flowers. He loved this place and the feeling of safety it always brought him, liked Gavin well enough, and had been coming here for years. Dealing with his exile and the problems that led to it on his own had been overwhelming, and he'd been told to find someone to speak to about it. He hadn't expected it to help as much as it had, and Sebastian kept coming for sessions, even after his desire to beg to return to Starkhaven ended. His father still hated the idea of talking out problems, but Melissa supported him.

Initially he'd come here to deal with the loss of his home, and he'd talked about the attention-seeking and people pleasing parts of his personality that came with the neglect he'd felt growing up, how they'd shaped him as a person. He was still selfish, he knew that, but he was no longer eager buy drinks to everyone in a tavern to get them to like him, didn't want to pick fights with the people he was close to just to argue and get the negative feedback that was so like what he got growing up. Most of the time he worked toward being happier, healthier, better, but behavior wasn't a switch to turn off, and sometimes he backslid. The security he'd created for himself started within him and flowed outward, and he was invested in maintaining it.

Even when he was tired, had homework and would rather be napping with Melissa, he was still invested in learning to be better. As his mind came around to her, he remembered why he was here tonight in particular, and answered Gavin's question.

"Not at all. I've met them all, but her father passed on before I knew her. I visit her mother sometimes. Leandra is," he trailed off, unsure how to put his thoughts into words. An unconscious smile touched his lips as Sebastian thought of a way to finish his thought, "More like the way I wish my mother was at times."

"How so?"

"Well, she's cooking a big dinner for Satinalia for one, and then we're supposed to watch movies and exchange gifts. We never got to do things like that growing up, and I'm not truly sure my mom knows how to cook," he said chuckling. It was funny to him now, though as a child, he had found it less so. "She claimed she baked my birthday cakes, but I know that our cook did. I think she tried, when I was very young, but I'm not sure anything she made was edible." He sighed and added, "It doesn't really matter now."

"Why not?"

"She's not likely to bake me a cake this Satinalia, and truly, I don't mind that she never cooks, I just like that Leandra does. Melissa does as well, though I think she's only assisting her mother during the holiday." Calling her Melissa so often made him feel like he was detached from her, describing and drawing a picture for Gavin's edification and not his own benefit. It was if he'd started calling her by her title and not her name. He amended it, remembering that if he didn't show their intimacy, Gavin would question him about it.

"Do you and Melissa have plans for the week off from school?" Gavin asked, giving him an unreadable look.

"Lissa's taking a graduate level course, and wanted to use some extra time to study. I think I told you that she had more difficult classes than I this semester. She's very dedicated."

Gavin gave him a kindly smile. "We've spoken at great length about how much you admire her intellect."

"I do, I'm always in awe of her. But aside from her studies, I need to go check in on my apartment building," he said, deliberately dodging the actual question. His expectations for the holiday felt too secret, too fragile to speak aloud. It was as if by saying them, he might doom them.

"Is she planning to go to graduate school at all? Have you two talked about the future?" Gavin asked. He was a distinguished Rivaini man with big eyes and greying hair at the temples. Almost always clad in tweed or a turtleneck, no matter the weather, he looked the very picture of the psychology professor that he was.

"I asked her if she'd thought about getting married, but Lissa," he sighed heavily and went on, "wasn't open to the conversation. She thinks planning the future might ruin what we have. We fought about it. I think not planning is foolish."

"Did you propose?"

"No! That wasn't my intention. Besides, she would have turned me down, and I can't take that," he said, surprised by the words. It hurt enough to have the conversation where she admitted she didn't want to talk about marriage, although marrying him would be 'nice'. Sebastian wasn't sure he could endure a proposal where he could see the indecision and hesitation in her eyes no matter what her answer was.

"You knew she'd turn you down beforehand?" Gavin asked, looking concerned. Sebastian shook his head.

"No," Sebastian ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "She got upset as we talked about it. Maybe," he thought back to their brief talk at the Hanged Man before Varric interrupted them, and to the fight they'd had in his room afterwards, "I did it wrong, said something wrong. She thought I was going to break up with her at first." He gave a mirthless little laugh at the memory, though he found nothing funny about the recollection of her horrified expression.

"We talked about her parents, eventually, and how she'd always thought their marriage limited her mother's options for life. But marriage isn't supposed to be like that. I saw my parents, with their many issues, still love and support each other, and they always worked for Starkhaven. I thought if I explained that, being," he paused before saying 'a princess' and amended it to, "part of my family responsibilities wouldn't just be onerous duty, but would make our lives less private that she might be more receptive. But I don't think she'd thought of that aspect of it before. She just didn't want to think about it, we argued, she started to leave because she hates fighting and then we talked through it, though she still doesn't seem receptive to the idea of marriage."

"Is she frightened of what may come?"

"I think so, in a way. Her family wasn't, isn't always able to make ends meet, so I think she focuses on the present to make sure nothing is falling apart. She plays a big role in keeping her family together, and that is always her focus, no matter what else she's doing." He paused, took a sip of water and thought for a heartbeat before going on, "Everything else, planning for a future, comes after she's made sure her family will be okay. Honestly, they often do need her help, and she's been the primary breadwinner since her father died, so she doesn't plan for the future so much as try to hold it together."

"Sort of 'I'll deal with that when I come to it' type of mindset. I've seen that a great deal in people that have dealt with trauma, especially prolonged trauma. Pushing her to talk about the future while she's distressed about the present may cause her to dig in her heels and not hear your position at all. Or she might just give in because she feels it's inevitable and wants to make you happy. Neither one makes for a solid foundation for a marriage."

"No," Sebastian agreed.

"Were you honest in your question to her? Do you want to get married to her?"

"Lissa's the only person I could see myself marrying, though I concede that the idea of it is a recent one. It's been on my mind, with graduation coming, I've started to wonder about the next step. We both have, she's just more frightened than I am, her best friend is leaving for work and Lissa's sad about it. I'm buying an apartment and talking about marriage. She just doesn't want to take this step with me yet." Sebastian took a drink of water and added, "So I want to be a good partner to her, the best boyfriend I can be, if she won't have me as a husband."

"There's no rush, Sebastian. You might want to do some introspection, figure out why marriage has recently become so important to your future plans. I think that the two of you have a good chance to talk over some of the issues you've brought up, see whether she's still hyper-focused on the present and dealing with problems. It may be that she's creating them to avoid the conversation. Whatever is happening, be aware of what she's telling you, both in words and not. If she says she's not ready, then believe her."

"I know," Sebastian said, looking out at the darkening street. "But that has nothing to do with the holiday. I don't want to ruin it for her. For either of us."

"You have plans?" Gavin asked again giving him another look as Sebastian turned away, playing with the new class ring that sat on his right hand. It was a heavy gold thing, without a center stone like a signet ring, but the crest of Kirkwall Tech and next year engraved on it for his graduation class.

"I have gifts," he said, and decided not to speak on it anymore. The hour would be up soon anyway.


	2. Friday Night

Friday night

He'd never spent much time in the dorms, but Sebastian fondly remembered his two semesters there. Living in the dorms reminded him of his year at boarding school before he was kicked out. He remembered the rambunctious way that the holidays set in, how easily books were abandoned for the week of Satinalia and how many people used the break to just do nothing at all. He had expected that he'd be one of a few staying in the dorms over the break, but there had been many people there, more than there were between semesters.

On Friday afternoon he'd run into Logan, his little from last fall. Each brother in KSE had the option to take a little brother from the incoming classes to serve as a mentor and guide during their pledging process. Sebastian hadn't the time to have a little brother again this fall, but he was hoping for one in the spring class.

Logan didn't live in the house, but rather was in the honors college dorms, with stricter quiet hours to facilitate studying. Though he saw Logan quite frequently for KSE events, they hadn't spent much time together since the year before, when Logan had joined KSE. Their conversation was too short, because Logan had a flight home to catch for the holiday, but Fenris was the Resident Assistant for Logan's floor. Sebastian wandered up and knocked on the door, only to have Fenris wave him in with a bottle of wine.

The room around them was sparse, there was a poster of a famous landscape photo on one wall, and another a calendar with important deadlines written in. There was just the standard dorm furniture as well, bookshelf that had a few books that weren't necessarily related to classes, dresser, desk, two chairs and bed. Most of the room was furnished the same way Sebastian's had been when he'd come to Tech, without too many belongings of his own. The only thing of note in the room was a computer in the stages of being rebuilt or possibly stripped by Fenris, with pieces of it carefully laid out on the desk behind him. Fenris was a electrical and computer hardware engineering major, and it was possible that the computer had something to do with class, though it was likely just a project.

"You're celebrating?" Sebastian asked as he sat down in Fenris' room. It was a single room, not shared with anyone else, though it didn't have its own bath. Fenris poured him wine in a plastic cup that had to have been liberated from the dining hall in the Commons.

"You aren't?" Fenris asked, but Sebastian just smiled.

"I wasn't sure you were Andrastian."

"Oh that." He laughed, a low deep chuckle. "Didn't we meet at the Chantry? But you're right, I'm not in any formal way, but I can definitely appreciate the week off," Fenris said.

"You have no plans?" Sebastian asked, and Fenris cocked his head to the side and smiled at him. It was a disarmingly handsome smile, Sebastian noted, and felt himself smiling back at Fenris.

"Actually, I do. Varric, you know Varric, don't you?" When Sebastian nodded, he went on, "He's hosting a party for Satinalia. I'm surprised Hawke wasn't invited. I know they're friends."

"She might have been, but she didn't mention it to me," Sebastian said. "Besides, we're going to her mother's house for Feastday dinner."

"You're from Starkhaven, are you not?" Fenris asked and Sebastian nodded. Fenris poured himself another measure of wine before continuing. "I was reading about holiday customs after Varric invited me to his party. Wouldn't you rather go home for the holiday? The whole town is said to celebrate."

"Aye, they do," Sebastian said, carefully taking another sip of his wine. "It's a beautiful sight. The turn the square downtown into a market in the month leading up to it, and let artisans and other vendors set up stalls. I remember it from when I was a child, there were players there performing in the crowds, and carolers singing. We walked around and it was grand, with all the lights and music and people laughing and smiling. I wanted it to be like that all year round."

"Don't we all," Fenris interjected and Sebastian laughed.

"That's true. But I cannot go home," Sebastian admitted. It felt like he should have done this already with Fenris, but they'd never talked about their pasts. "Kirkwall is home now."

"I can't go back to Tevinter either, but I wouldn't want to go there. You sound like you want to go home," Fenris said.

They'd spoken before about Fenris came to the south of Thedas claiming refugee status. He was an escaped slave, and though Tevinter technically outlawed slavery, there were still loopholes that allowed for some forms of it. Fenris fell under the magical research loophole and had been deemed an experiment, not a person, before his escape. One day Fenris sat and told him the whole, awful, sordid tale, and how he came to escape. But somehow in all of that talk, Sebastian hadn't shared his past with his friend, and he felt bad about the imbalance.

"Yes, but you fought to escape and make your own life. My parents wanted me to learn a lesson, so they made home inaccessible to me."

"And you can't enter Starkhaven on your own?" Fenris asked, looking shocked.

"I was warned not to, but I've never tried either. They said that should I attempt it, my passport would be seized at the border. If that happened, then I'd have a hell of a time coming back to Kirkwall, where at least I have a home, let alone going anywhere else. I'm also barred from becoming a citizen of another country, but since Kirkwall is Free Marches, I'd be able to remain here. A host of other fun things were promised too, like stripping me of my diplomatic immunity and tying up the legacy my grandfather left me."

"Why?" Fenris asked and then shook his head. "No, you don't have to answer that."

"Varric will probably tell you anyway. He's no fan of mine, and I think he likes telling the story," Sebastian said and shifted in his seat to get comfortable. "Though it's a tale best told with more to drink."

"It's a good thing I have another bottle. It sounds like you're going to need it."

#

She got his text when she was finishing up her last tutoring session, an emergency one scheduled that morning because her student just realized they were going to need to spend the whole Satinalia week studying if they wanted to pass finals. She didn't mind the short notice and the money was always helpful, so she'd been at the student union for an hour after her last class ended. Melissa read the text and laughed, then replied that she'd be happy to drive her drunk boyfriend home. She walked through the Quad to the Honors College dorms and was let into the building after knocking on the main door for a minute.

"Hey Hawke, what are you doing here?" A voice asked as she was let in, stamping her feet to get the chill out. Melissa looked up to see Nadia, the girl she'd shared a room with briefly at the KSE formal.

"Nadia, I didn't know you lived here! Happy Satinalia! I'm here to get Sebastian, who is apparently, drunk with Fenris."

Melissa smiled at Nadia and walked further into the honors college dorm, which made her wrinkle her nose at the smell. They all had that similar scent, people packed in too close quarters with questionable bathing habits, overlayed with institutional food and the slight whiff of marijuana. Take off the institutional food and replace it was the scent of boiled cabbage and it was remarkably similar to the way Lowtown smelled.

"Happy Satinalia to you too! Fenris is up on the third floor. Do you know where? I can show you," Nadia said.

"Cool, thanks." Melissa started to walk alongside Nadia, who began her habit of talking far too fast to expect answers.

"I haven't been to many KSE events since the formal, but that was a lot of fun. You know Lucky right? He asked me out again, but I haven't had time. Classes have been so much this year, you know what I mean? Not that next semester is going to be much easier," Nadia said, only pausing to breathe heavily as they walked up the stairs. "I've got differential equations and my stats class next, oof, semester. I swear that last step was higher. Your coat is so cute, by the way. Did your mom make it for you like she made your formal dress? I told my mom about your dress, and she saw the pictures and was impressed. She's bought some stuff from the online shop your mom has and loves it. Everyone in Cumberland gives her compliments on it."

"Thanks! I'm sure mother appreciates the business," Melissa said, catching up to Nadia's compliments with only a slight delay. "Yes, Mother made my coat for me. I'm not as good of a seamstress is she is, but I think this pattern was fairly simple. The dress was something else though," she said and laughed.

"I loved it. It was so pretty and suited you. I was thinking about my formal dress for next year, but that's presuming I even get to go to another formal. Gosh, you're graduating aren't you? Next year you won't even be here, you'll be out in the world. It seems like a lot, from this end. Oh this is Fenris' room. I'm sure you're excited about graduating though, aren't you? Shit, there goes my phone, I've been waiting on this call. Well, it was good to catch up, see you later," Nadia said, leaving Melissa in front of the door that proclaimed Fenris, resident assistant, dwelled within. Melissa called out a goodbye to Nadia before pushing the door open.

"Was that Nadia I heard out there with you?" Sebastian asked, smirking at her as she opened the door. He was sitting on the floor, back propped up against the dresser opposite the bed where Fenris was sitting. In a concession to the weather, Sebastian had added his puffy coat to his normal ensemble of sweatpants and long-sleeved henley. His coat and boots were sitting next to him, one boot turned on its side.

Fenris smiled over at her, motioning her further into the room. She was always startled by how big and green his eyes were, how handsome his face was when he wasn't scowling at his homework. "Hey Fenris. Yeah, that was her. I thought she was still sleeping with Lucky, but she says she hasn't had time to see him."

"She was definitely at the house about a month ago, though it might have been late at night. I saw her with him, and then I heard them together," Sebastian said, raising his eyebrows. Melissa snorted.

"The way half the brothers hear us too, no doubt," she responded, and Sebastian had the good grace to turn red around the ears.

Remnants of what had once been two pizzas and some fries sat on the a chair and Melissa went past Sebastian to take one of the remaining slices of pizza. She saw the empty bottle of wine and the half empty one next to it. "At least you two ate something to soak up some of that wine. Where are your keys?" she asked Sebastian.

He handed them to her, looking sleepy. Fenris was already curling up on his bed, and Melissa sighed. She could either eat the cold food or get him home while he was still awake. She opted for taking Sebastian home before he become a dead weight. "Fenris, I'll take my boyfriend off your hands."

"You two are welcome to stay, though I am likely to be a poor host," Fenris offered, but Melissa laughed.

"I've got dinner at home, as much as I love cold pizza, I'd rather have something more substantial. We'll catch up with you later," she said, and levered Sebastian to his feet. He swayed woozily in her grasp for the first second, but righted himself and was steady.

"Sebastian," Fenris said, uncurling from his bed. "Happy Satinalia," he finished, and Melissa was sure he'd wanted to say something more. Sebastian, apparently understanding something she'd missed, returned the saying and told him that he'd catch up with him later.

They made it out of the dorms, and in the cold air, she could tell Sebastian was sobering up. He was reasonably able to tell her where he'd parked his car. After one case of mistaken car identity, where the keys steadfastly refused to unlock a car that only looked like his from down the street, they found it. She started it up and he flopped into the passenger side, giving her a bleary smile as they headed towards her apartment.

"This probably isn't the best time, but I've been wondering. What do you want for Satinalia?" she asked him, as they waited a stoplight. Sebastian grinned at her and she saw the glint of the streetlight on his teeth as he did.

"It's a little late to shop for gifts. You've cut it to the wire," he said, sidestepping the question.

"I never said I didn't have a gift, I just wanted to know what you wanted. Besides, I have a week of gifts for you, starting tomorrow. You know, in the old tradition," Melissa said. She shrugged and added, "I thought it would be nice."

"You did the whole week? And you're just asking now?"

"Better late than never," she said, and grinned back at him.

They were almost to her apartment, it wasn't far from campus, but it was up on one of the hills that separated the higher, more desirable parts of Kirkwall from the Lowtown market and slums. All of Tech was situated on its own plateau, and to live nearby was to either have to live above or below it, and below it was only Lowtown. She rounded a corner carefully, Melissa was always cautious driving Sebastian's car, though she'd only done it a handful of times. She was certain his car, with whatever modifications his father had seen fit to have installed on it, cost more than she could ever afford to replace. Sebastian insisted she couldn't do more than scratch it, but she had no wish to test his trust.

"I'll tell you what I want, because I've been thinking about it all day. I want to see you completely naked," Sebastian answered honestly, and Melissa laughed. Sebastian gave her a look that she couldn't read in the darkness, even with the light of the street lamps and diffused apartment windows lit gently around them. She pulled into her own parking lot, but didn't cut the engine. Isabela was gone, she knew she'd flown away this morning to Ferelden, escaping Luis's specter in the form of his widow. There was no one around to interrupt them.

"You can't be serious. You've seen me naked plenty of times," she said, but he shook his head at her.

"Nope, never. Not completely. We never completely undress, and when we do, it's dark and usually more than a little rushed. So my request makes sense," he said. "I'm fairly certain I'd remember if I had, and I definitely haven't. It's what I want more than anything."

"For me to leave to the lights on?" She thought about it, and damn it, he was right. Two nights ago she'd been in his bed, but nothing happened besides sleep, and before that, well, the lights always went out. Or they started once they were in bed together in the dark. She undressed for the shower in the bathroom, so she wouldn't get cold, and Sebastian never intruded. Damn it.

"For you to undress completely. I'll get naked too, for parity," he said, the pitch of his voice dropping. It was just enough of a promise of something more that it made Melissa shiver. He was good at doing that these days.

Their relationship had grown more physical since they'd gone to his formal, and Melissa was starting understand how vast his experience was. Not that she had a problem with it; it served her well, and he never made her wait too long. But she could also understand his hesitation, what their deliberately slow pace meant to him. But things were changing, moving forward at a steadier pace, which was what he'd wanted despite their occasional slips this summer. It was tempting to let lust overwhelm their good sense, and maybe in the past she might have pushed, but this was far more satisfying for both of them.

"Oh. I think I like the sound of that. Very much," she said, and caught his grin as it turned a little more feral, showing a little more teeth. Melissa reached a gloved hand over and stroked the stubble that grew on his cheek, Sebastian closing his eyes at her touch. "Isabela has departed for Ferelden. I think we would have the apartment to ourselves if you wanted your present early. Or shall we wait until Satinalia?"

Sebastian kissed the inside of her hand and unbuckled his seat belt. "I've _never_ turned down an early present," he answered, and with that, Melissa finally cut the engine.

#

He'd made her nervous with his request. Sebastian was still more than a little buzzed, but he could see that Lissa was unnerved by the prospect of stripping down just so he could see her. It sounded better in his head, he was sure of that. Still, she walked around the living room, taking his coat and hanging it with her own, turning up the heat and snapping the electric fireplace on so bright false flames flickered into view, and the mechanical click of the heater sounded dully behind them as it began to warm up. Melissa closed the blinds in the living room, hiding their view of the sea and giving them privacy.

He wanted to kiss her more than anything, but Sebastian was waiting for the right moment. It was all well and good for him to say what he wanted, but he saw how damnably shy she'd gotten when he asked. He wouldn't push her, but he wasn't going to let the request go either. He did want to see her naked, completely naked, as he hadn't seen her before. It wasn't a request that he'd meant to lead to anything, though he had realized how loaded it would be when he asked.

When she stopped and came to sit with him on the couch, he watched her take her hair down. It seemed almost like it happened in slow motion, the freeing of her hair from her ponytail. It cascaded down, so lovely and dark and lush over her shoulders and all he could do was stare.

"It felt like I should take my hair down too," she said and grinned at him. There was nothing nervous or fearful in her grin, and he started to understand.

He'd been wrong before -- she wasn't nervous -- it was excitement he'd seen and mistaken for nerves. She leaned in and kissed him lightly, then stood back up.

"I thought I wouldn't be alone in this?" she asked, and he stood too, just as she pulled her sweater over her head. He stood there mutely, dumb, hands too numb to take off his own shirt. She toed off her socks and then he watched her unbutton her jeans before she looked back up at him again.

She didn't say anything, just smiled, but it was the kind of smile that launched a million fireworks in his heart. It was so welcoming, filled with every sweet moment they'd ever had together, but it was obvious, clear as crystal, that she wanted him. Jolted into action, Sebastian was out of all of his clothes in an instant. He wasn't even conscious of taking them off, just one moment she was smiling at him and the next he was naked, and she was pushing down her underwear with her jeans and stepping out of them.

"You've seen my scars before," she said lightly, her voice too airy. It made something in him recede, the part that wasn't thinking at all and just moving on pure instinct. He went over to her, closing the few steps between them and put his arms around her to unhook her bra. He let it fall to the ground and his hands drifted down her sides, and he only just kept them from cupping her breasts.

"I have. Tell me about them." He rested his hands on her shoulders and looked down as her fingers skimmed over a path of skin on her stomach first.

She sighed softly. "Bethany came into her magic wielding fire. I made her angry. My father wasn't able to heal it all away. Just in case you ever wondered why I never wore swimsuits, this is why."

"It's not that bad, Lissa," he said. Truthfully, he hadn't noticed when he'd first fooled around with her, but only after running his fingers over the skin. He could see it now, the demarkation line between her healthy skin and where she'd been burned. The burned part was shiny and taut where it had healed and there was no hair growing on it, though it wasn't discolored at all.

"You're hard," she said idly, as if it mattered to her not at all, but her breath caught as she pointed it out. Sebastian had expected he would be.

"It'll go away on it's own. Eventually. Probably not any time soon if I stay so close to you."

"You don't have any scars," Melissa commented, and he shook his head, taking a step back from her.

"My parents paid for me to have cosmetic healing once. Not since my nose was broken though, but in truth I sort of like it better this way," he admitted with a half-laugh.

"They had a mage do deep healing on you? Like celebrities do?" she asked, shaking her head in disbelief. "That must have cost a fortune."

"Probably," Sebastian said, shrugging. "They did it to get rid of my tattoos, or at least that's what I thought at the time. I can't say I ever knew the cost, but I had a few real scars too. It was after I'd gotten into a fair few scuffles during my military service and a number of bar fights on top of that."

"You saw action?" she asked, surprised. He never talked much about the mandatory military service he'd endured before going to college. It had been an education in how corrupt people could be even when hiding behind duty.

"Training mostly. I fought with just about everyone in my unit too, until I was transferred. I resented being there and it showed," he admitted, and then changed the focus of their conversation back to her. "I've always wondered what happened to make those marks on your shoulder." He kissed them after asking, and felt her sigh again.

"I was careless and crashed my bicycle. The bike was fine," Melissa said. "I fell and tried to stop myself with that shoulder. I was wearing a tank top. Pebbles got buried under my skin. Father wasn't much of a healer."

"And here?" he asked, fingertips skimming perilously close to the inside of her thighs, so close her could feel the heat coming from between her legs. He had to swallow hard before he could pull his hand away.

"Scratched by a barn cat when I tried to put it in my lap," she whispered, and Sebastian kissed her. She pulled back from him and asked, "How did you break your nose?"

"Bar fight," Sebastian said, and grinned. "But that time, I wasn't at fault. I was protecting the honor of some of my friends, who were very likely at fault. I don't know, I was in the men's room when it started."

"I should have known," Lissa laughed, and then walked around him, clambering awkwardly over the couch so she could get behind him.

"You could have asked me to turn around," he laughed.

"That probably would have been easier, yes. So I'm not going to find any scars on you, am I?" she asked, tracing a line along his spine. Sebastian shivered in response to her touch.

"Not unless they're new. I'm all just hair and moles, I'm afraid."

"You've got a dimple," she said, and he chuckled. She pressed a hand to the small of his back, pointing it out. He could feel nothing different, just the warm press of her fingers just at the beginning of his ass.

"More than one, I'd wager. Good thing they're all covered in hair."

"This one isn't. And you are _impressively_ hairy," she commented as she took a look at him, "not that I've ever minded that. I'm quite fond of your chest hair," she said, and then slapped his backside hard enough that he felt it redden under her hand. Sebastian swiveled and caught her hand before she could do it again.

"If you're going to do that, you'd better be prepared for the consequences."

"Did you like it?" she asked as he released her hand.

"In moderation I suppose it could be exciting. I've never harbored a desire to be spanked."

"That was never one of your fantasies?" she asked.

"Not unless you want a hairy, angry, naked man trying to slap you back," he said, making her high, clear laugh spill from her lips again.

She stood there in front of him, her hands on her hips with her face titled up towards his and looked at him. "So was this everything you wanted?"

"Yes, it was. What about the scar on the back of your leg near your ankle?" he asked in return.

"Shaving my legs in high school." She let her fingers trail up and down his chest, fingers tracing the outline of his muscles, stopping at some of his moles. "This was nicer than I expected. Intimate. I love seeing you naked, as strange as this was. Then again, I should probably say we're nude," she said and laughed again.

"What's the difference?"

"My father always said that there was naked, and then nude. Naked meant you had your clothes off, and nude meant you were naked and doing something," Melissa explained, still laughing. "And I'm not just sitting here rubbing myself against your chest like I'm a cat for no reason."

His arm slipped around her waist and pulled her closer. "Now I've got my gift, which was lovely, thank you. But you deserve a present now too. How about I see if I can give you a double? Since we're already undressed and all that. If I'm really good, you might even give me some new and interesting scars."

"I wouldn't dream of marking something so perfect," she said, and laid back onto the couch. Sebastian slid eagerly between her legs, kissing the soft skin of her thighs as he did. His lips brushed over the scar on her right thigh just before he dove in and parted her soft black curls with his tongue.


	3. Saturday

Saturday

She woke up in her own bed with Sebastian wrapped up in her embrace. He was so often the big spoon, Melissa kinda liked it when they changed roles. She'd been sleeping with her arm tossed over him, their legs intertwined and her head against his back. Her bed wasn't as large as his, and though it was a double bed they always woke up wound together, facing the wall.

She got up without waking him and went to start the day, brushing her teeth and hair before going to the kitchen. She hummed to herself, so happy for time off. Sebastian was here with her, and she didn't have to rush around campus or go to tutoring or to Athenril's shop to fill in some shifts for extra cash. Melissa put coffee on, knowing that Sebastian would want some, and set out her own mug for tea. She had a plan for breakfast, and looked to make sure there was enough frozen waffles for the two of them, then took out the syrup and set it on the counter, wiggling her butt as she was bent over in the cabinet, still humming to herself. When everything was prepared but the water, she looked up to see Sebastian framed in the doorway, watching her. He was shirtless, as he almost always was when he slept, but he was wearing a lazy smile as he looked at her.

"You're happy," he said as a good morning.

"I am. You're here with me, I don't have to work, and we're having waffles after I get out of the shower," Melissa replied and Sebastian pulled her into his arms. His good morning kiss was as lazy as his smile, unwinding slowly as if it were waking him up as he kissed her. She kissed just as slowly, patient, even though the longer they kissed the more she felt like warm honey in his hands.

He finally pulled away, pressing his forehead to hers. The gesture was so familiar, and they were still entwined in each other in her kitchen, but she could almost forget it. If she could, Melissa would have a picture of that happy, perfect, sunlit moment of the two of them. She kissed him again, a short kiss before she intended to get back to the morning, but Sebastian held onto her.

"I don't have your present here. At least not the one for today," he told her.

"Oh are we doing that now? I can wait. If you'd like yours I can get it," Melissa offered. He shook his head.

"Didn't want you to be disappointed. Speaking of gifts," he said, giving her a searching look, "I've never been invited to Satinalia with a family before. Should I get gifts for everyone?"

He was nervous about spending the holiday with the Hawke family. Carver would even be home for this, and Sebastian wanted to make sure everyone got a gift. She thought it was sweet.

Then again, she'd be awfully nervous if for some reason she was in Starkhaven and expected to do anything let alone if it was a holiday. But he'd met her family before, they'd spent time together. Hell, he was practically Mother's favorite child. She had to put up with Mother asking about Sebastian whenever she called, then spending at least ten minutes going on about how wonderful he was before they could have any other conversation.

"If you want. I can go shopping with you and pick things out. It's just the three of them, Gamlen isn't there," she said. "What did your family do for the holiday?"

"Donated any gifts we got. My father never let us keep any of them, so we could set an example. We went out to visit the town square during the holiday week, but on the day of we dressed up and went to the Chantry services."

"The whole day services?" she asked, aghast.

"No, no, it was just in the morning. We had a family dinner together, posed for photos, but we never exchanged gifts."

"This isn't going to be like that. What we usually do is the gifts, once everyone is there. If we have them. Then Carver picks a movie, and we watch that while we wait for dinner to be finished. Then dinner and we fight over who picks the next movie. We don't get dressed up for this, this is a pajamas and sweats event. Mother likes everyone to be comfortable and well-fed and happy."

"That sounds perfect," Sebastian said, wistful relief filling his voice. "I wasn't sure what dinner would entail."

"It's casual, don't worry so much," Melissa said. "Anyway, I need to shower, and then breakfast, okay?"

"Were you planning to shower alone?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

"I hadn't given it much thought," Melissa replied, smiling at him. Had he a chance to reply, they might have missed the knock at the door.

They looked at each other, but Melissa shook her head. "I have no idea," she whispered, always cautious when someone came to the door unexpectedly. There were years when she'd ducked bill collectors in Ferelden, crawling up to windows to twitch the curtains and see if they'd left. Or worse, opening the door and begging them to give her more time, another extension, some way to make sure that some vital service wasn't cut off. The kind of person that came to your house to collect money was either going to turn something off or take something away. She was familiar with both kinds of situations, the scared faces and dread that settled on a person after months of not being able to pay and avoiding collection letters.

She went to the door and looked out the peephole, and then let out a silent hiss. The woman standing outside was wearing a veil and head to toe black. She couldn't see her face well though the tiny hole, but what Melissa could make out had to be features belonging to a very young woman. "It's Luis' wife. She's looking for Isabela, she was bothering her on Thursday. Let me get rid of her."

"Hello. How can I help you?" Melissa asked as she opened the door just enough so she could address Luis' wife. The chain didn't come off. Sebastian walked back into her room, presumably to get a shirt, but she didn't hear him re-enter the living room.

"I need to speak with Isabela, if you please." Her voice was pleasant enough, but there was an edge to it already. Her face was as Melissa had guessed it was through the glimpse she'd gotten before she opened the door, young beneath her veil, almost as young as Bethany.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Felice Valente. Isabela knows who I am. If she could just come to the door, we could talk."

Melissa shook her head. "She's gone away for the holiday."

"I need to speak with her," she insisted, but Melissa just shook her head again.

"You can make demands if you want, but that's not going to make this situation work. She isn't here. I can't summon her. Whatever you want will have to wait until after the holiday. Go away."

"I can hear someone else in that apartment. Isabela, come out!"

"It's none of your business who's here or not. Please leave." Melissa shut the door on her and the woman began immediately to pound on it, shouting for Isabela. Her neighbors were going to call the guard on them if this noise didn't stop. Feeling the beginnings of a headache, Melissa blew a breath out between gritted teeth and decided to open the door again. When she yanked it open so violently it bounced against the chain, Luis's widow took a step back.

"What exactly is your problem?" Melissa said, her blood heating as she began to lose her cool. "I told you to go away. Did you not understand or are you just too stupid to realize when you're in over your head?"

"Are you threatening me?"

"Are you standing at my door being purposefully dense? Fuck off."

"I demand --" she started, but clamped her mouth shut instantly. Sebastian was behind her, she could feel him standing there before he put his arm around her waist. He was, she knew, holding her back in case she got the bright idea to shut the door, unlatch the chain and personally put this woman out of the building by her hair.

"Isabela isn't here, and you've overstayed your welcome," he said firmly. "We'll call the guards if you don't leave now." His voice had authority, and it reminded her of when they'd been at the hotel for the formal and he'd been rounding everyone up at the end of the weekend. She'd been impressed then, but he'd been kind in corralling his own people. Now his voice lacked any of that warmth, and she could see the girl at the door reacting to his glower. Had Melissa not been sheltered in his embrace, she would have shivered at his frosty tone.

Melissa closed the door and wiggled out of his arms to go over to the television. They didn't use it much, but it had one useful feature -- their apartment was once a secure building for those who got disability assistance, and the old cameras were still up. She turned to the channel where they broadcast the people entering and exiting the building through one of the four doors. Melissa watched Luis's widow walk out the door, but anything after that was lost to her because the cameras only focused on the doors themselves.

"Well, at least we know she isn't lingering in the hall," Melissa said. "I really need breakfast and a shower now. You coming?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Are you going to do something about her?" he asked. "I can call the security team." She shook her head. She'd forgotten about his shadow team, the Starkhaven royal guards that were in Kirkwall but weren't supposed to be following him all the time. He told her he was building a smaller apartment in his building for their command center, but she hadn't realized they could be called as a resource.

"Let me talk to Aveline first, but after breakfast. Come or don't Sebastian," she said, her annoyance already too close to the surface, spilled over where she didn't want it to. Melissa took a deep breath and was about to apologize when he shook his head.

"Maybe not this morning, Lissa. I'll make sure she doesn't come back, and start breakfast. Go on," he said, and turned towards the kitchen.

"Fucking little asshole ruining my morning," Melissa muttered to herself as she went to the bathroom. She was going to scald herself in the shower and text Isabela all the ways she'd like to throttle a woman she'd barely even known for five minutes.

#

Melissa was still grumpy when they went out shopping, but her mood improved as the worked their way through the stores, stopping so often to admire things or just to go inside and have a look, they hadn't made much progress from where they'd parked. He hated malls, shopping complexes and department stores all equally, especially during any holiday. He hadn't bothered to go any place but one store for her gifts, and then he'd carefully selected what he wanted to get, not pushed through an ever-increasing amount of people to see what was still available.

He suddenly felt bad for his mother's assistant, who had to shop at his mom's whim all of the time, and often close to holidays like this. His mom was never good with dates, and she left everything until the last minute, even her extensive list of people she did send gifts to for Satinalia. Not her family, but the people that it was advantageous to impress or recognize. Eventually her assistant must have started anticipating these requests and handling them sooner, if not for their own sanity, then definitely to prevent having to come out in crowds and shop picked over shelves or begging vendors for rush orders.

Nothing about the amount of people or the lack of stock bothered Melissa. She liked shopping, and Sebastian made a note to take her to better places when he had the chance. Now, he was standing in a store that sold video games and was packed with people that smelled like the armpits of all and sundry as Melissa tried to remember if Carver was allowed to own a handheld gaming device. She and Bethany were in the middle of a text conversation about it. Someone belched very nearby him, and Sebastian turned his head, hopefully away from it.

A pair of very large breasts pushed up against his back, and Sebastian pivoted on his heel to find a woman that was not at all his girlfriend giving him a half-smile. He knew that hopeful look, and wasn't about to encourage it by smiling back. He stepped away, excusing himself, and moved closer to Melissa.

"Can we leave?" he asked impatiently, aware that he was growing more disgruntled even as her bad mood eased.

"Yeah. You don't look so good," she said, and put her hand to his face to check his temperature. "You're all flushed."

"I need a drink. The bigger the better."

"It's only now noon."

"Then we'll have lunch with it," he said. He had presents for Leandra and Bethany. Slippers for Leandra, a gift pack of cosmetics for Beth. It was only Carver that was proving difficult to shop for. After he ate, they could come back out and continue the search for Carver's present.

That wasn't what Melissa had in mind, and he could tell they weren't leaving when she led him deeper into the mass of people and noise. She took him to another store, but told him to sit on the bench outside, then walked away in the opposite direction. He watched her go, wearing her checked coat, black hair pulled into a long braid that fell down her back. He wasn't the only one watching her. The old man sharing the bench with him gave him an exhausted smile, and Sebastian nodded at him. When she came back, she was bearing a large pretzel, a smoothie and a cookie.

"You need carbs. Holiday shopping is a marathon, not a sprint, Sebastian. Besides, Isabela gave me a gift card I want to use today." She nodded her head towards a storefront just next to the one where he'd been sitting, sulking. "It's for there."

He looked up and felt himself smile despite his shitty mood. "Isabela never disappoints, does she?" he asked, taking the smoothie and the pretzel from her. She took a big bite from the cookie and then set it in his lap. The store she'd gestured to was an expensive Orlesian lingerie shop, and the way Melissa was smiling at him made Sebastian hope that his Satinalia gift was to see what she was going to buy.

"If I'm not out when you're done resting, come find me," Melissa said, but he called after her.

"Feel free to open a line of credit," he said, and she turned around and stuck out her tongue at him before disappearing into the tastefully austere storefront. The old man on the bench with him chuckled.

"You're a Vael," the man said, face crinkling into a million lines as he smiled at Sebastian. Sebastian nodded.

"You're from Starkhaven," Sebastian replied. The older man's accent was strong enough to mangle the word 'you're' in the short sentence. He sounded like home. Not that he didn't love Melissa's broad Fereldan accent or that he couldn't find the charm in the snipped and short cadences of the Kirkwallers, but he missed hearing people that sounded like him.

"Aye, I am. Lived there all my life. You look like the princess, but I cheated, I heard her say your name was Sebastian. I know the names of all the princes of Starkhaven, have ever since I was a boy and it was your grandfather ruling. What are you doing here, Your Highness? Besides the obvious," the old man asked and chuckled as he glanced at the store where Melissa had disappeared.

"Going to school, serah. I go to Kirkwall Technological Institute."

"Engineer?"

"Yeah, civil engineering," Sebastian answered, taking another bite of his pretzel. He was feeling better now that he was sitting. The smoothie was also good, and he wondered where she'd gotten it from. The cup it was in was plain, with no logo or mark, but there were all sorts of vendors set up in the halls just for the holidays. The half-eaten cookie he'd save for Melissa, in case she wanted another bite.

"Your girlfriend go there too?" the old man asked.

"She's a mathematics major. What brought you to Kirkwall?"

"My wife, we drove down for the day. She's shopping here with her sisters and family. They're from Kirkwall, and our grand-niece moved here. I'm just here to carry bags and drive home." He laughed and added, "Here she comes now, with three more bags. I do all my shopping online, so my stuff is already wrapped, but she waits until the last minute."

"So does my mom, and apparently so do I. Not the best trait I inherited," Sebastian said, and they both laughed. The old man got up. He stuck out his hand for Sebastian to shake. When he took it in his, it reminded him slightly of his grandfather's hands. The same thin skinned softness made them pleasant, but this man had the remnants of calluses on his hands from years of labor.

"Good luck with school, Your Highness. Try not to be too distracted by your pretty girlfriend. I'll be seeing your parents on Feastday, at least from a distance. If I get close enough, I'll tell them how nice you were to a bored old man."

"What's your name, serah?" Sebastian asked.

"Ernesto Telez. Take care," Ernesto said, and tipped his hat at Sebastian. Sebastian watched as he lumbered over to a woman with hair so red that it had to be mage-dyed, and took the bags from her. Sebastian brushed the crumbs from his puffy coat, watching the sprinkle of salt from the pretzel as it hit the ground near his feet. Ernesto turned around to point at Sebastian, and Sebastian waved at them. Both of them waved back at him, looking delighted before turning to leave. They looked like a pair of happy grandparents, loaded down with gifts and ready for the holidays, and suddenly Sebastian missed his grandparents something fierce.

He'd never known his paternal grandmother outside of the stories and pictures his grandfather had shown him when he was a boy. For a moment, Sebastian wanted to bring Ernesto and his wife back just to ask about her. He had spent much of his time as a boy with his grandfather, who had the time to spend with him when his parents didn't. He died when Sebastian was fourteen, and what little connection he felt to his family perished with his grandfather. After that he'd been shuffled around a series of schools, got in and out of trouble, sent into military service that he'd hated, and ultimately kicked out of Starkhaven.

Sebastian got up, throwing away the now empty paper wrapper from his pretzel, and drinking down the last frozen bits of smoothie. He should call his other grandparents, just to say hi and see how they were. He hadn't even thought to send them a card, but now here he was, missing them too. He'd just seen them for lunch a few weeks back, but he hadn't thought to send them anything for the holidays.

Whatever thoughts he had of his grandparents vanished into smoke when he walked into the store looking for Melissa. She was standing near a display of pajamas, talking animatedly to a salesperson, and he made a beeline for her. They both turned in his direction as he approached.

"Hi baby," she said and smiled up at him. She wanted something, her eyes were shining with it, but she didn't say anything. He wrapped an arm around her and let her lean into his side. "Feeling better?"

"Much," Sebastian replied, realizing what she wanted was for him to be okay. "You still shopping?"

"I'll go see if we have your size in those," the salesclerk said, scurrying away from the two of them and their private discussion. Sebastian looked down at all the merchandise Melissa was holding and raised an eyebrow. It looked like she'd attacked the pajama section with gusto.

"She gave me a thousand crowns on this stupid gift card. I've never spent this much on pajamas and underwear before in my life," she whispered, and laughed. "Now I feel bad that all I got her was map."

"It was a very nice map," Sebastian said. It hadn't been just a map, but a vintage map of Rivain and the sea, framed. He'd been there when she bought it, and saw how she'd cooed over the thing, insisting that it reminded her of Isabela. "Are you just getting pajamas?"

"You'll see," she said, and untangled herself from his arm. "You have to get something too. There's a men's section. Go on," she insisted, swatting him on the ass to get him going. He had to put an end to this new habit of her slapping his butt, otherwise he'd never know life without unbruised cheeks again.

#

After spending most of the day shopping, Sebastian wound up at the KSE house so he could pack some of his things and check on everything there. He was like as not to find a bunch of sleepy, stoned KSE brothers, ordering food and watching movies. They were going to spend the rest of the week off at her apartment because of the unspoken need for more privacy than was afforded to them at the KSE house, and because neither one of them wanted Felice to come back and have a chance to get in there just because they were sleeping down the street.

While he packed up his things, the gifts he had for her and checked in with the brothers that were staying at the house, Melissa took a nap at her apartment. He'd promised to bring dinner with him when he came back, and she'd given him her key after he dropped her off. He really should have his own key anyway, she realized, as long as it was okay with Isabela. He had a drawer of stuff here, and he might need it at some point.

Shopping had been a marathon that afternoon. With Sebastian's encouragement, she spent every cent on that gift card, and then some. She shifted sleepily in her bed, thinking about it, worried anxiety gnawing at her now that the moment was passed. He'd opened the line of credit, because she'd refused it and he wanted her to have everything she'd picked out. It went further than Sebastian wanting to see her in some sexy lingerie, he was trying to take care of her. She wasn't sure how she felt about that. At the very least it was an odd feeling, because she took care of everyone else. Even Bela, with her free spirit and considerate nature, wanted Melissa's support and unyielding strength behind her. It was what she did.

Now Sebastian was trying to do the same for her, and it felt off-kilter, but she knew it shouldn't. She hated that it bothered her so much, that she couldn't be like almost everyone else she knew and enjoy her generous and very wealthy boyfriend who wanted to spoil her with gifts during the holidays, but it made her feel like she was taking advantage.

That was definitely not the picture she wanted to present. Her phone rang, jolting her out of her thoughts and she sat straight up in bed to answer Aveline's call.

"Aveline, am I weird for not wanting to spend Sebastian's money even though he's richer than the Archon?" she said by way of greeting. Her hands skimmed over the rough top of her quilt as she nestled the phone between her shoulder and ear. Some of the loops were loose, her prize quilt fraying after too many machine washings.

"Hi Hawke. No, it's not weird, though it might want to be a conversation you save for when I come by to see you."

"You're coming by tonight?"

"Yes, I should be around in about an hour, maybe an hour and a half, depending. I'll be off shift then, and I've got you a present."

"It's not a taser is it?"

"Not unless you're licensed to carry one," Aveline replied, and laughed to herself. "I wouldn't trust you even if you were. I'll see you soon."

She hung up and flopped back down on the bed. The sound of her keys in the door awakened her from the light doze she'd slipped into again, and she got up in time to see Sebastian going past her door to the kitchen with takeout and his overnight bag.

"Naptime was successful, I take it?" he asked as he rounded the corner into the kitchen.

"Does my hair look that bad?"

"You look," he paused as he put something away that she couldn't see, then came back around the corner with his bag over his shoulder, "like you need a present."

Melissa clapped her hands together, eagerness pushing all of her residual fatigue aside. "Let's sit on the couch then. I have to get your present." She went back into her room and yelled out "Turn on the fireplace."

"Please."

"Please, Sebastian, turn on the fireplace," she laughed. "I'll give you a present if you do."

He gave her a heart-stopping smile as he came back into the room. For a second her heart stuttered like she'd never seen him before, her pulse too quick as if she'd never spent the night in his arms or had his tongue probe out her secrets until all she could do was rasp his name on the back of a breath. His eyes were alight and he just kept on smiling, just so, until she remembered herself and watched him bend with spectacular grandeur to turn on her fireplace. Melissa gave a small giggle, and backed into her room to get the gift she'd wrapped for him.

When she came out to hand it to him, the small package seemed too rough and dainty in his hands. He exchanged her gift for his, a small box without wrapping, only bearing a ribbon. She knew it was jewelry before she could open it, and part of her hoped that it wasn't a ring. She wasn't ready for this discussion again.

But it wasn't a ring. He was watching her, waiting expectantly, and she opened it up to find two magnificently worked gold earrings. They were the shape of large teardrops, but the insides were filled with scrollwork and details that caught the light and twinkled. In the middle and at the stud were two yellow stones, the color and facets twinkling merrily in the dull orange glow of her firelight.

"Oh, Sebastian," she whispered, putting her hand to her mouth. "They're so lovely. Are they diamonds?" she asked, but only to be polite. She knew they were. Nothing else shone like that.

He nodded in confirmation. "I, well, I wanted you to have something beautiful this season. Isabela helped me pick them out." He was earnest in this, she could see it in his eyes; he was like a puppy that was eager to please. She leaned forward and kissed him, caught him up in it until neither of them could breathe and they had to break apart.

Melissa held them out, staring at the box in her hand incredulously. The diamonds were canary yellow and of a modest size, but there were two in each earring. They weren't the type of thing that cost a fortune, but neither were they inexpensive. It was the gift that a noble lady would get, the kind of thing her grandmother Amell might have approved of. She tried to summon up some of the guilt she'd felt earlier, after spending so much of his money on frivolities at that shop, but it wasn't there. Not for this. He loved her, and this was a gift freely given.

She didn't even notice him opening his gift until she heard the paper tearing. He opened it and took out the journal she'd wrapped for him after she and Isabela exchanged gifts. Sebastian was holding it up, examining the book and smiling thoughtfully at it.

"You said you wanted to try keeping a journal of your thoughts, so I wanted to give you something useful," she explained. It wasn't quite in the same league as the earrings she'd just got, but Sebastian looked pleased.

"I did, and I can't believe you remembered me saying that. I was in the bookstore the other day and I almost bought a blue book, but it was giving me anxiety just looking at it."

She laughed, relaxing as she did. Blue books were small notebooks full of lined paper that were used for taking tests, usually essay tests and were turned in at the end of the exam. Each book cost a nominal amount, and were always on sale for midterms and finals. This book with it's leather cover and fabric page marker attached to the binding was much nicer than a blue book.

He kissed her back, but this kiss was shorter, sweeter than before. Melissa reached up to put her earrings in as Sebastian went to clear away the torn paper. When she got the second earring in, her doorbell rang. Aveline.

"Hi, come in, come in. Happy Satinalia," Melissa said, opening the door. She waved in Aveline and the guard she'd seen her with before, the guy with muttonchops. She'd seen him eyeing Aveline that night they ran into each other when she was finishing up her internship.

"This is Donnic. Donnic, Hawke. Hawke, Donnic. Oh hi again," Aveline said as Sebastian came back from the kitchen. "You're Sebastian right?"

"It's good to see you again, Guardswoman. Guardsman Donnic. Happy Satinalia," Sebastian said, giving both of them a nod.

"This is my boyfriend, Sebastian Vael," Melissa said, hoping to get everything out in the open. "He was here with me earlier when we had trouble with Felice Valente."

"Ah yes, Felice," Aveline said and exchanged a look with Donnic. "I've got eggnog here Hawke, and I hope you've got cups. Here's your gift too," Aveline said and held up an unwrapped box that clearly said 'security camera' on the side. "Let's put this in and I can tell you about your visitor. It's a shame Isabela isn't here, I have a feeling she'd like this story," Aveline said.

"Those are lovely earrings, Hawke," Donnic said, peering at her. She saw his eyes dart from her ears to Sebastian and smiled.

"Very nice," Aveline confirmed and handed Donnic the camera. "Can you and Sebastian manage to get this hooked up to the peephole while Hawke and I make the drinks?" she asked.

"I think we can do that," Donnic replied, smiling at Aveline and then looked up at Sebastian, "As long as you know the wifi password."

"He does. Come on Aveline, tell me about this girl Felice. She had on a veil, but she can't be that much older than Bethany," Melissa said, leading Aveline into the kitchen. "Oh I got you a candle by the way, the one you like that smells like pine trees." She'd picked it up that afternoon while they were out shopping, but unlike Aveline, she'd had her gift wrapped. It was just that she knew Aveline didn't care for surprises, so she was as transparent as possible.

"Wonderful. My old one's nearly gone."

It was really a very good day, Melissa reflected as Donnic and Sebastian began to talk in the living room. Aveline took a seat at the table and started telling her about the girl from that morning, the problem she'd inherited from Isabela's holiday flight.


	4. Sunday

Sunday

The nicest thing about time off from school was definitely the laziness that crept into his schedule. Hours were lost just sitting with Melissa, lingering over a lunch, walking together, talking or not speaking at all. The summer had been filled with such ease, a pace that he missed once he'd gone back to school, but he remembered how many times they'd woken up together and just stayed in bed, talking and kissing in equal measure.

It had the virtue of being more interesting now, even if they didn't get many chances for such ease. That morning saw him awake, naked and praying to the Maker as Melissa's tongue slid up his cock. She'd been up before him, but only just. They'd collided in the doorway to the bathroom, her leaving and he just going in. After that, she'd gotten back into bed and waited, turning down his offer of breakfast by pointing at the clock.

"We've got plenty of time before we need to get out of bed," she said and smiled at him. When he got back in bed, the kissing started. He had only himself to blame for that.

Sebastian kissed her neck, a place always guaranteed to get a response, and then her collarbone, watching as Lissa sighed softly whenever his lips came away from her skin. Then she kissed him back, her tongue deep in his mouth, hands running over his chest until they lingered at the waistband of his pajamas and delved further. When she took him out of his pants, exposing the hot, hard length of him to the cool morning in the apartment, he groaned, and felt her laughter as she continued their messy kiss.

From there, he wiggled out of his pants and she slid her mouth downward to take him all in, but it could have happened in moments or minutes, all of them unhurried and exploratory. It was a gift from the Maker that she never wore pants to sleep -- they were a matched set, he with no shirt, and her with no bottoms -- but it allowed him to touch, to feel her warm skin and run a hand over the curve of her hip and butt uninterrupted by pants. His hands found their way under her nightshirt easily, fingers teasing her nipples into hardness as she exacted the same from him, but using her mouth instead of fingers. Her hands were busily wrapped around his cock, pumping, stroking, taking him from the semi-hardness of his lost morning wood to something altogether more like white steel.

It took them some time to build up heat, but once they did, Sebastian was naked and panting underneath her, unfocused as he muttered to her. He babbled like a brook whenever she did this, partially because she was so vocal whenever he pleased her. Melissa wasn't loud, it wasn't that she screamed or woke up his brothers, but she talked constantly, giving directions, showing her appreciation, telling him to try new things with her words turning into moans and run-ons when it got very good. She liked when he talked to her too, and Sebastian broke all of his rules about anonymizing sex, the way he'd always done it in the old days, and started a steady flow of absolutely nothing as she sucked on his cock. It kept him in the moment, with her, because it was so different from the past, but he never remembered quite what he said, only that he loved her, and _take it all, Liss, Maker have mercy your tongue is amazing_.

He liked to watch too, but he'd always liked that. Lissa's dark hair was loose, swirling around him, teasing the skin on his hip even though she'd helpfully tucked her hair behind an ear. That too added to the hot, panting desire that flowed through him, the tickling brush of hair every so often as she bobbed up and down, taking him all into her mouth and pulling back to just the head of him, her hands covering the shaft as she twisted her wrist ever so slightly with each stroke. She looked up at him at the same moment he glanced downward, a flash of warm brown, still teasing and flirting even with her mouth full of him, and though they locked eyes for just the barest second, but it was enough.

"Lissa, I." He swallowed, and tried again to form a thought. She must have understood what he wanted to say, because she took him deeper, sucked harder, and the familiar tug in his balls that signaled the end came again.

"Liss." It was all he could say, even for all his babbling before. Sebastian buried his hands in the tangle of her dark hair, limned by the morning light that made it glow with a subtle gold hue, he guided her head and she took more of him in. He felt her throat working, her mouth sucking and the gentle hum as his hips jerked, and the light around him went pure white. She didn't let go, not until the last bit of him was spent and he was limp in her hand, blinking blearily up at the ceiling.

Sebastian was still breathing hard when he pulled her up to him for a kiss. The taste of him on Melissa was intoxicating, the bitter saltiness of it, the sweetness of her swollen lips against his. The hands that had been gripping the bed and her hair now were soft and aimless, though they found purpose quickly, teasing her warm breasts from their softness into hard peaks again, in drawing aside the band of her panties with the intent to get her off next.

Really, he was a gentleman, and would have let her come first if she'd wanted. He busied himself kissing her neck, one hand folding the softness of a tit, the other teasing her lower, where her thigh and hip met, where the elastic of her panties held flimsy guard over everything inside. She laughed, so softly and unexpected that he looked up from his kiss, but pushed past the elastic barrier and brushed a finger over her, pleased to find her already wet.

"Sebastian," she said, his name pleasingly choked as he continued to delve further. The hand that had palmed her breast was now on her lower back, holding Melissa steady as his finger slipped inside of her. "We can't. We're out of time."

"No, we have plenty," he whispered, and "I've no where to go until I pick up your mother."

She squirmed in just the wrong way, and he withdrew his finger, frowning as he did. "Did I hurt you?" he asked.

"It's weird to talk about my mother when you're inside me," she answered, making a face.

"I suppose it is, but I only said it because I don't have to meet her until just before the Chantry services."

"Which means you have about forty minutes. So if you want to get showered and have breakfast, you need to stop now, no matter how much I don't want you to."

"Wait." He looked at the clock on her desk and realized she was telling the truth. "I took that long? I should give your jaw a medal." Then he bent his head and kissed her shoulder, the hand on the small of her back tracing a circle with his thumb as he did.

"Yes, we weren't in a hurry at the beginning. Now stop kissing me and get dressed."

"Andraste will forgive my tardiness," he said, and licked the column of her neck. Melissa predictably shuddered against him, which was why he'd done it in the first place, but he nevertheless enjoyed the feeling of her response.

"Andraste might, but Leandra won't," she laughed. "And Mother will know that you've been kissing me. She can tell. She always was able to with me."

"I can get you off in less than ten minutes, get dressed and leave well before I run the danger of being late."

"Then prove it," she said on a heated breath and Sebastian slipped his finger back inside of her again, relishing the moan he got as he did.

#

He wasn't late, but just on time. Melissa had come apart easily, but Sebastian didn't have time to shave. He hoped his stubble wasn't an offense to the Maker or Melissa's mother. Leandra had said nothing when they'd driven to the Chantry, only offered a good morning upon getting in the car and expressed disappointment that Melissa wasn't with him.

When he'd asked her to go, she'd just shook her head. "Later in the week," she'd promised, then flopped on her back in the bed, the nipples he'd just sucked into hardness teasing him as they pointed upward, inviting him to get back in bed and taste them again.

He did not give into temptation this time, but went to wash his face. As he'd said, he was dressed and out of the door with plenty of time to pick up Leandra and drive back to the Chantry. She got into his car dressed in what he only assumed was some of the finery leftover from her mother's vault, a mink hat atop her salt and pepper hair, dreadlocks pulled into a hefty chignon at the back of her neck. She had on a wool wrap dress under a cloak with a gold broach on it, and the button at her collar had the Amell crest on it. Despite living in Lowtown, Leandra had fallen into her role as Lady Amell so comfortably that Sebastian felt like it had been just waiting for her to return to it.

"You look lovely, Leandra," he said after he'd gotten back in the car and started down the street.

"You look nice as well, Sebastian, though you forgot to shave," she said, earning a chuckle from him. His usual uniform of sweatpants and long-sleeved shirt had been replaced by his nicer, dressier clothes. He felt more at home in the black cashmere sweater and steel grey trousers than he did in anything else besides a suit. But he hadn't brought a suit to Melissa's apartment, and there had been no time to stop back the house, for obvious reasons.

They weren't late.

Leandra sang along with the chant in a airy, light soprano, and his baritone matched hers by rote, he knew the Chant by heart from his time as a Lay Brother. He knew this sermon by heart, though he didn't mouth the words along with Elthina, that would have bordered too close to rudeness. The Grand Cleric always recited the same things at holidays, comforting those that only came a few times a year and reinforcing the messages of the season for the regular attendees. His mind drifted.

Sebastian was back in bed with Melissa, only this time it wasn't her mouth around his cock. He wanted to feel her, the slick heat wrapping firmly around his cock, the two of them joined completely from head to toe as he kissed her. He could see it perfectly in his mind's eye, the curve of her ass and hips as she settled on top of him, the playful bounce of her tits as they began. Or no, wait, he could be on top, though he wasn't much of a fan of missionary, he wanted to get deep inside of her. He'd watch her from above, watch his length be swallowed by her with each thrust, until one of them shattered first. Or he'd take her from behind, unexpected and quick, the merest flashes of skin as he bent her over and drove into her, Melissa's perfect ass bared for his admiration.

Really, there were so many ways to do it, and he wanted to try them all. That he shouldn't plan it in the Chantry, sitting next to her Mother didn't occur to him. He'd planned so many seductions during his idle Chantry services, it almost felt normal to do so. But it wasn't the how that concerned him, though it was so diverting to think on it, but the when.

He was ready now, he wanted to give everything he had to her, but Sebastian recognized his own sentiment in wanting to make it special. She'd waited for him, trusted him, loved him, and he wanted to do something more than just roll on top of her one morning and kiss her senseless before sliding it in. Not that there was anything wrong with that as a plan, but he hoped their future held plenty of those mornings, so many that it wouldn't seem right to have their first time be so commonplace.

There was always the possibility of taking her on a trip, setting off somewhere interesting just as Isabela seemed to do when the winds willed her to leave, and making a weekend or week of it. Or if they couldn't go there was dinner and candlelight, those long established standby methods that always seemed to work to elevate a moment. There were so many tantalizing possibilities once he started to think about them. He definitely liked --

"Pay attention, Sebastian," Leandra whispered, breaking his train of thought. Around him the congregation was standing again, and he got to his feet hastily, giving her a sheepish smile.

"I know you aren't listening, but at least pretend better than that. You're worse than Carver." She tutted at him, but softened her words with a small smile.

"Sorry, Leandra," he whispered, the sound of his apology nearly lost as the Chant started up again.

#

Isabela called just as Melissa finished giving herself another orgasm, her hands slick and nothing at all like Sebastian's bigger, manicured fingers, the ones she thought of so fondly as she recalled their morning. The world burst into suntouched brightness again as she concentrated her fingers on already sensitive parts, willing just another shudder of ecstasy from herself. Her breath caught in her chest as she remembered him squirming under her, telling her how much he loved her as easily as he directed her to suck him harder, to take all of him.

She wanted nothing more to take all of him, in whichever way she could.

But that morning she had nothing but memories after his quick exit, and she was only half sated by his efforts. He'd led her to a quick, intense climax, like a lightning strike as his mouth kissed her cunt, but it wasn't enough. There was still thunder in her, roiling and eager to sound, and Melissa let herself dissolve into a stormcloud after he left. She came hard, twice more at her own insistence, the last one ebbing away into dreamy, clearing skies as her phone rang.

She had to call Isabela back.

"Is it cold in Amaranthine?" Melissa asked as Isabela picked up the phone.

"There's a mountain of snow here. Nothing's open except the hotel bar, and Andraste only knows how they're getting any supplies. I'm holed up in a suite with my darling Nathaniel, who was good enough to show me his father's arling before we got caught in the snow."

"I'll take your word for it," Melissa said, and then was about to launch into everything Aveline had told her about Felice last night, but Isabela spoke first.

"Are you and St. Sebastian enjoying the holiday?" she asked, teasing Melissa with her lilting, leading tone.

"I was until he left to take Mother to the Chantry this morning and left me alone in bed. He gave me a beautiful pair of earrings last night. I suppose you had nothing to do with that?" She knew Isabela had, he'd told her as much when he gave them to her, but she wondered what Bela would say.

"The yellow diamond ones? Aren't they lovely? I did like them for you when he picked them out. That's why I called. Your love is very anxious to give you nice things, and you should let him. Oh but do tell about what's got you in bed missing him. Did the holiday season put the both of you in the giving spirit?" Isabela started, but Melissa broke in.

"Wait, you aren't calling about Felice?"

"Who's that?"

"Luis' wife. She came here yesterday. How do you not know her name?"

"Andraste's ass, she's still in Kirkwall? I wasn't trying to have tea with her, so I didn't ask her name. I hope you told her to go home. Shit, I'm sorry, Hawke. I thought she'd up and leave if I wasn't there to pester and there was no money for her to find."

"Bela, she's not even his widow. She's his ex-wife."

"What?! How do you know?"

"Aveline told me yesterday after I called her. Felice came around in the morning wanting to talk to you, and wouldn't leave. Aveline did a little digging, and apparently Luis divorced her without telling her, and they went on living together for a few months until he died. I can't figure out how or why he'd do it, but Felice is broke and as his last wife wants a piece of the pie."

"Shit, shit shit. I am always caught up in his fucking bullshit, even after his death!" Isabela was yelling now, and over the phone Melissa heard a muffled male voice asking her if she was okay. Isabela gave him a noisy kiss before coming back to their conversation. "Hawke, don't talk to her again, for the love of the Maker. Let big girl handle it if she comes back. Just have her arrested. I'll fix this, I swear. I know someone."

"She hasn't been back and Aveline installed a camera," Melissa told her.

"Of course she did. I'll make sure to avoid the door. But I did call to tell you to just let Sebastian give you the bloody gifts. Don't make a fuss over how much they cost, he can afford it, and so can I. Just take them, and smile at him because he wants so much for you to have these few things. Hawke, I know I don't say it often, but you're my best friend and you deserve nice things, and a good boyfriend who wants to give you them. I promise I'll repay you for having to deal with that brat. Shit. Look, I've got to go, but I'll call you tomorrow."

She hung up, leaving Melissa more bewildered than before the call. She hadn't even gotten the chance to tell Isabela she hadn't protested Sebastian's gift the night before, even though she'd known it was expensive.

No, what she was more worried about was when Isabela said she 'knew someone' with regards to Felice. That made her so suspicious her shoulder blades itched. Melissa pushed herself off the bed and went to take a shower. She had cookies to bake, and to take them to Gamlen before the day got too late. Even he deserved a present this season, and she wanted to talk to her dear uncle.

With the camera in place and Isabela alerted, she wasn't worried about Felice anymore. She just hoped whatever solution Isabela came up with wasn't one that was going to be too disruptive. Melissa had plans for the gift she intended to give Sebastian tonight, if all went well.

#

Gamlen looked old when Melissa sat down in front of him. It struck her how much older he looked, older even than her mother, who was the older of the two of them by a year. He was faded, greying everywhere not just his hair, but his skin and eyes looked dimmed by his time in prison. His hair was thinner, as was his body, and he seemed more tired and bored than repentant.

"I made you some cookies, but they told me that it's going to take time to inspect them," Melissa said as she settled into her chair. They had to talk through the phone handset, which she'd wiped down before picking up.

"Inspect and eat half of them, I suspect," Gamlen said. "But thank you for trying, Melissa."

"Are you well?"

"As I can be," he said. "Why are you visiting me, girl? Out of the goodness of your heart?"

"No, you know that. The cookies are from the goodness of my heart. I had papers sent to you. Did you get them?"

"You're a rat, you know that? You come in here with cookies and ask about that damn mess. I got them. What are you going to give me if I sign them?"

"This isn't a negotiation," Melissa said, but Gamlen shook his head.

"Everything's a negotiation. I'm surprised your pretty boyfriend didn't come with you to coach you. He's good at getting things done, isn't he? He certainly got me to court when I should have just stayed out and holed up."

"And been arrested by the guard later on when you were too drunk or too stupid to hide? All they would have had to do is wait at the whorehouse."

"Where's Leandra? I assume you sent those papers for her, but she doesn't bother to show up," he said snidely.

"I sent them for me. She's at the Chantry with Sebastian. What do you want for signing them?" she asked warily.

"You want my title, so at least tell me why."

"I don't want you as my heir. Bethany can't have a title herself, but her heirs could. I'd rather it go straight to them, if anything ever happens," Melissa explained. She was really rather sure Bethany would have heirs before anyone else, the way she and Varric kept up. They danced around each other, slept with other people and then came back to each other. The last time she'd texted her sister, she'd been at the Hanged Man. Melissa hadn't asked for specifics.

"And the title should always be separate from any other since we aren't landholding nobles in the old sense, so it should be cleanly passed as Amell, no matter what surname we have," Melissa finished, thinking not of Bethany, but herself.

"Why ask me for it? You'll probably outlive me anyway without me giving up my title," he said, more to himself than to her. Melissa remained stone faced as Gamlen sat across from her, the two of them divided by plexiglass as he thought.

"You don't deserve it," Melissa said, but Gamlen didn't answer.

"You're getting married?" Gamlen asked and hooted a laugh at her. "Princess of Starkhaven. Doesn't that beat all?" She shook her head at him, trying to will him to keep his voice down.

"No, I am not getting married. Do you see a ring?"

"I see expensive earrings you can't have gotten from my mother's vault," Gamlen answered.

"You knew about the vault?"

"I never had the passcode, but I knew she had something squirreled down there. I want a settlement," he declared, throwing her off once again. Melissa had to get on her game to deal with Gamlen now. He was so much easier to snow when he wasn't sober.

"What are you asking for? It's not a guarantee you'll get anything, but tell me what you want."

"One hundred thousand sovereigns in an account, for me only."

Melissa laughed, the sound hard. A man nearby her shot her a furtive look that she didn't see. She didn't drop Gamlen's gaze as she shook her head. "I don't have that kind of money. At most I can get you five." She had eight thousand dollars total left from working over the summer and some she'd given Sebastian to invest, but she wasn't going to tell Gamlen that.

"Not now, but you will, if you marry the boy squiring my dear sister around to the Chantry as if she's already his mother in law." He leaned back in his chair grinning at her. "It's a small enough amount, and he can manage it."

'How about this?" Melissa asked, keeping her voice light as she tensed her body to leave hastily, "I'll think about it while you think about the nearly one million crowns you bilked my mother out of by forging her signature and naming yourself executor of the Amell estate. You think about me bringing charges against you for that, while I think about your proposal."

She slammed the receiver down in his ear and swirled from the room. She hoped he choked on those cookies. Her vision was nearly red from talking to him, and she all but missed Aveline calling her name as she banged her way out of the visiting room.

"Hawke, wait!"

"Aveline. What's up?" Melissa said, forcing herself into something resembling calm.

"Your uncle again?" she asked when she drew in close enough to see the banked anger in her eyes. "He's an ass. Don't let him get to you. Look, I hate to ask, but I need a small favor."

"What is it?"

"You know Donnic? Of course you do he was just with us last night. Right, sorry. Can you give him this? He's just over there in the cafeteria."

Aveline handed her something small and hard, and Melissa looked down to see a copper relief of marigolds in her hands. "A Satinalia gift?" she asked, smirking at Aveline.

"I want to ask him out, but unless it's work related, I get all tongue tied. Just give him that. Don't tell him it's from me."

"Then he's going to think it's from me."

"You'll figure something out. Go, before his break is over."

Melissa went, feeling strange as she entered the canteen where almost all of the guards ate while on duty. It smelled reminiscent of every school she'd ever been in, the strange combinations of processed meat cooked in bulk and fresh food just being cut permeated everything. It was no trouble to find Donnic, his head bent over a tablet as he absently spooned soup into his mouth.

"Donnic, hi."

"Hey Hawke. How's the camera working out?" he asked, smiling up at her. He motioned to the seat across from him and she sat, glancing back over her shoulder quickly to just catch the barest hint of Aveline's flame red hair ducking out of sight in the doorway as she did.

"I haven't checked on it today, but it was fine last night after you left. I'll have to review the feed to see if I've had any unwanted visitors. Look," she held out the copper relief and handed it to him. "Aveline wanted me to give you this, and not say it was from her, but I'm rubbish at deception." That wasn't strictly true, but she sensed Donnic was a man that appreciated honesty. "You should ask her out, sometime. She likes action movies, hiking and figure skating. Do with that information what you will."

He gave her the smallest of smiles, but it looked sad to her eyes even before he spoke. "I do like Aveline, a great deal. The thought had crossed my mind before, but she, she had a husband, and I didn't want to intrude."

"She doesn't have one now and it's not intruding. Her memories are hers, but he's gone and she's got me giving you gifts. Take these weird metal flowers and think about it. I've got to go report back before she comes walking by."

He laughed then and Melissa smiled, the last of her bad mood from dealing with Gamlen falling away with the sound of it. "You're a good friend, Hawke."

She saluted him and then exited, to tell Aveline he'd been pleased with the gift. Melissa lied easily when Aveline asked what they talked about, saying it was all about Felice and the camera. It was a show of Aveline's nerves that she didn't try to ask follow up questions about that, but rather his reaction.

"Buck up, Aveline. Maybe if you pray to moon just right, Satina will give you a man with muttonchops for the holiday," Melissa said, and then giving Aveline a light kiss on the cheek, turned to leave.

#

He took Leandra to do her holiday grocery shopping after the service. Sebastian offered lunch, but she declined it. They drove to the nearest store with her talking about the Chantry service as snow started to fall. It had been too cold for snow earlier, but today was just warm enough. He didn't think much would fall.

"What do you want for dinner on Feastday, Sebastian?" Leandra asked as they parked.

"Oh, I get a dish as well?" he asked, grinning at her. She made special dishes for all of her children. Carver apparently, liked buttered rolls, and Bethany pumpkin pie. Melissa got macaroni and cheese, which, he'd seen her make before and it was a process.

"Of course you do! It's my gift to you. I'm not going to buy anyone any presents, not really, and it's too late to sew anything new." She looked at little startled that he hadn't realized that, but smiled at him all the same. "But you'll have to think fast because we're here now and I need to get all of the stuff."

"Right," he said and checked his phone. Melissa texted him earlier, she was supposed to be baking today. "Melissa needs butter. Remind me to get salted and unsalted this time so I don't have to come back out."

Leandra laughed at his frustration, and tugged him into the store. He got a carriage for her, and said, "I could make you a tie, if you wanted. I have some really nice silk that would suit you. Do you wear ties?"

"I do. Often when I'm at home."

"Melissa didn't get you any?" she asked, but then shook her head, "oh but how would you know already?"

"Can you make rice pudding?" Sebastian asked. It was one his favorites from childhood. He'd tried to make it once on his own, but it didn't come out right.

"You like that too? Melissa used to want it for breakfast when she was young. I can make it." Leandra lead him through the produce section, picking up vegetables from a mental list that seemed to include a little of everything. "What did you get Melissa for the holiday?"

"All seven gifts. Honestly, I'll be surprised if she accepts them," he said absently and was surprised when Leandra turned to face him, one hand stretched out to take a tomato.

"Sebastian," Leandra said sternly, giving him a look. "What have you done?"

"It's just a few pieces of jewelry. When we talk about the future, she says things like she can't imagine being dependent on my money or that it scares her too much, and I know she's still talking about money. So I got her gifts."

"Expensive gifts," Leandra said, guessing correctly.

"She doesn't know how much they're worth. Not yet. I'm sure she'll find out sooner or later."

"Please don't tell me you spent one hundred thousand sovereigns on my child or something ridiculous like that. She lives in that apartment with no security. She can't possibly walk around with my mother's designer clothes and that kind of jewelry there. She'll be a target."

"No, it wasn't quite that much," Sebastian said and frowned. Leandra was right and that was something he hadn't really taken into account. "And Aveline installed a camera on her apartment yesterday as part of her gift. I promise, Leandra, she won't be a target. Melissa's sensible."

"She is," Leandra conceded. "but remind her to get insurance."

Sebastian snorted at that comment. Remind Melissa to get insurance. He would be surprised if she wasn't way ahead of him in that regard, calling up some former colleague from her internship to have the earrings assessed and insured. She'd know then, but he'd been counting on her figuring it out. His own mother wore millions of sovereigns worth of heirloom Vael diamonds, pearls and other precious jewels, as did his sister in law whenever they had to attend any city-state function. Leandra likely was supposed to have something passed down to her. Lissa should have her own things, especially if they were going to stay together after graduation.

"Leandra, I love her," he said, his voice was quiet and a little plaintive, but no less honest for it.

"I know, darling. I know. You're lucky to have each other. Come on now, before we get caught in the crowd. The rest of the people are coming in after the Chantry service, so we'll have to move fast," Leandra said, smiling at him.

He could do that. Sebastian drove her home afterwards, taking the groceries in and kissing her hand goodbye. She giggled at him, waving him away and promised to make him several ties just to get him gone. He took Melissa's butter from the bag and left, driving the relatively short distance uphill from her apartment to Melissa's.

"Hi, it smells like a bottle of rum exploded in here. Sweet Maker," he said as he let himself in with the spare set of keys.

"I may have poured a bit too much into this cake. The alcohol will burn off but I don't want it to be soggy. Do you have my butter?" Melissa called out to him from the kitchen. Sebastian hung up his coat and took off his shoes, and took his gift for her from his bag in the living room. The heat of the apartment from hours of Melissa baking caught up to him and he pulled off his sweater before he went to join her.

"I'll give it to you in exchange for a gift," Sebastian said and heard her laugh.

"Yours is in the laundry room," Melissa said, kissing him as he came into the kitchen. He put the butter on the counter next to her mixer, already coated in a fine dusting of white flour.

"The laundry room?" he asked, but didn't head towards it. Hers was in his hand and he held it out, waiting for her to take it. Melissa ran her flour dusted hands over the front her apron before taking it.

It was a platinum charm bracelet, and he heard her squeal a little on her exhale. His smile made his whole face crinkle up as he watched her take it from the box, examining the two charms he'd already put on the bracelet. They were his and hers -- the crest of Starkhaven and the sigil of the Amell family -- hers had a tiny ruby lodged in it, and his a white diamond.

"I hope you like it," he said, but Sebastian was already sure of it.

"I can't believe you had this made. These had to be made, right, because they're custom charms. This was so thoughtful," she said, swinging her arms around him. "Oh, Sebastian, thank you so much."

"Are you crying?"

"I cry for good jewelry. It's not weird," she said, sniffling into his shoulder. "This was just so thoughtful." He nuzzled her neck, kissing her softly until she backed up, giggling. "Your stubble tickles," she said.

"Are you going to put it on?" he asked but she shook her head.

"Not while I'm baking. Go get your gift."

Sebastian walked into the darkened laundry room, really just a closet with the washer and dryer in it, and pulled the cord to the light bulb. The room bloomed into view, the harsh lighting of the bare naked bulb making everything too bright all at once. He saw it, propped against the wall and tied with a red ribbon.

"You didn't!" he exclaimed, face splitting into a grin. "How did you hide a sled in your apartment without me noticing?"

"It just came a few days ago. All I had to do was keep you out of the laundry. Is it like the one you had as a boy?" she asked eagerly.

"This one's better. Holy shit, Liss. This is beautiful. Thank you, love."

The timer went off in the kitchen and she disappeared from the doorway to check on her rum cake. Sebastian grinned as he slid a hand up the pristine smoothness of his sled. His brothers were older than him, didn't want to play in the snow anymore, only indulged him so far as a child. His nanny didn't do much either, though she did take him outside. He got a sled like this once, and only got to use it a handful of times before he was told he couldn't, that no one wanted to take him out in the cold to the sledding hill. He'd only told Melissa about it recently, as it grew colder and they walked down the hills on campus, but she'd remembered.

When he went into the kitchen with a huge grin on his face, caught her around the waist and spun her into another kiss. He was going to have to take her sledding.


	5. Monday

Monday

The next morning, Melissa was wide awake before the sun rose. Maker, she needed to sleep more, but just couldn't. Everything was starting to get to her. As much as she'd looked forward to this time off, relaxation was elusive. It had been ridiculous to think she could relax at all, she wasn't the type of person that took sabbaticals or vacations or jetted off to some fantastic spot.

She'd never even been out of Ferelden before they left it.

This holiday break felt hollow and tiresome, and not having work to do was making her anxious. There was no amount of pretty baubles from Sebastian that could change things. When she slipped out of bed, he didn't even notice, and she went to sit on the couch in the living room. It was cold out there, but she slipped on a long pair of socks and a sweater before leaving her bedroom. She could have found pants, but a blanket would work just fine.

Maybe if she read a book, she could stop feeling like she was sinking all the time, and just enjoy that she had more time to finish one of the numerous books she'd started this semester.

Her hope was dashed when nothing held her interest for more than a few pages, and she wound up watching videos on her phone. It was just after dawn had truly risen, about forty-five minutes after she'd left her bed when Bethany texted her.

_"R U awake?"_

_"Yes. What's up?"_

_"Can u talk?"_

_"Call me."_

Melissa's phone lit up with Bethany's number a few seconds later. "Sorry it's so early," Bethany began.

"I've been up. What's up B?"

"Mother and I set up a foundation, a nonprofit. You know, to help with the rebuilding of the Amell Estate. I had some ideas about raising money and looking through our history. I've been doing some research when I'm not at school, and Lissy, I want to do this."

"Do what?" Melissa asked, confused.

"I want to be the Amell historian for real. I want to turn this foundation into a job. If we list the house as historical and get money from the Free Marches government, they will help maintain it. I can make it a real career, one that I actually like," Bethany said.

"What's wrong with healing?" Melissa asked, careful to keep her voice neutral. She'd never known Bethany was dissatisfied with going to school and working in the clinic, but they never really talked about it. When she saw Beth, they were occupied by other things, or her sister changed the subject.

"Nothing, it's just not for me. I'm a rubbish healer. I struggle in school and I'm still only in the middle of my class. Alchemy is completely out, I can't mix much more than basic potions and poultices. Maker, I sound like I'm whining, but I'm not. Anders gave me a job and a chance, he's been good to me, I know. But I can't imagine this as my career. I just want to finish and get out, have some useless degree so at least they can't lock me up in the Gallows as a dangerous untrained mage."

"Beth, are you really that miserable?" Melissa asked. The blanket on her lap slumped forward as she sat straight up, at attention as she listened to her sister describe her unhappiness.

"Yes and no. It's a great opportunity, and I'm going to school, but I'm completely awful at healing. All this year and I can do one healing spell. Most of what I've learned was fighting stuff, which is cool, but not exactly on my final exam. I love that I had the chance to do something beside being at Athenril's shop. Oh, did I tell you she has a new girlfriend?"

"No!"

"Yes, I saw them the other day. They were quite cozy too. She didn't even bat an eye at me when I went up to them. Her name is Claudette. Another elf. Orlesian."

"I'm sorry, Bethany," Melissa said, but her sister was having none of it.

"It's fine, really. But I want a different future. This one isn't working out. It's only because I'm a mage that I don't get the flexibility to change my mind, switch majors and be something else of my own choosing. So this is it. We have this foundation, and I want in," Bethany said, sounding resolute. "There's just one problem."

"What's wrong? You seem to know what you want, at least this far and you've got the foundation already set up."

"We need someone to head it up. Mother won't, not with the costuming and commissions we've got going on. And she thinks it was cause more tension between her and Gamlen. And I can't because you know how they feel about giving mages power. Besides, I just want to be a historian, oversee work on the house, restore it to the photos, find out about our roots. You know, I found some really good stuff already in the library here."

"Did you?"

"Yeah, but I'm off topic. Be the President of the Amell Foundation, Lissy, please."

"WHAT?!" Melissa squawked.

"Lissa!" Sebastian yelled from her bedroom.

"I'm sorry, sorry. Nothing's wrong, Sebastian. Go back to bed," she called back. To Bethany she whispered, "Are you serious?"

"Why are you up now?" Sebastian asked, ambling sleepily into the living room. He gave her a muzzy kiss on the top of her head and saw she was on the phone. "Who's got you yelling?" His voice was rough with sleep, deeper than usual and it brought out the Starkhaven in his accent. She loved the way he sounded in the morning in particular, not that his voice wasn't nice all of the time.

"Sorry, baby, it's Bethany. You can go back to bed if you want."

"Hi Bethany," he said in the general direction of her phone. "I'm gonna make some coffee, love. Be nice to your sister," he told Melissa, kissing the top of her head once more.

"Is that what he sounds like in the morning? Every morning?" Bethany asked her. "Is he always there?"

"I need you to focus. Why do I have to be the president?"

"Because you're the only one who can. It's not like I can get Carver to do it. Plus, you'd be great at it. We filled out the paperwork already, I got it off the Viscount's website. We're already established, we just need to make and fill the roles. Mother filled in your parts, you just have to sign it. I don't have to work today, so come to the house and look around at it. The cleaning is done now, and I can show you the plans for the renovation."

She considered saying no, just because this wasn't what she had planned for herself. Her plans were so important, more than anything else. It was all she'd worked towards for the past few years, trying to bring a steady income to her life and make her own stability. She didn't want to be the president of a family foundation just because it happened to be a convenient thing for them to do. She wanted to get a good paying job at the place where she'd interned and her own car. Melissa wanted new suits, shoes and sheets that weren't threadbare and rough. But Bethany deserved a chance at those things too, and she wasn't going to get them if her healing was as bad as she said it was.

"Let me look at the house then. Bring the papers," Melissa said, heaving a sigh. Bethany started cheering on the other end of the phone. "Don't wake up Mother," Melissa hissed, but it was more just to vent her frustration. Mother was always up early.

"I'll meet you at noon. I'll bring keys for you," Bethany told her, and hung up.

Melissa took her phone and walked dazedly into the kitchen, shaking her head. Sebastian looked less like a zombie than he had before, and was making toast. She leaned against the doorway, watching him butter the warm pieces of toast from behind, the muscles in his back flexing slightly as he made the small motions. The waistband of his boxers came up further than his plaid pajama pants, the pants sitting low on the inviting curve of his hips. It was too early in the morning to battle with these thoughts, and she spoke up to rid her mind of them.

"Apparently, I'm going to be the president of the Amell Foundation," Melissa said to him. He turned and smiled at her. His hair, messy from sleep, stuck out at odd angles, some of it flopping in his face where it wouldn't stay back, but his wide smile was genuine and cuter for his careless, sleepy appearance.

"That sounds promising. Was that what you were arguing about?" he asked, then turned back to the toast, brandishing his buttery knife.

"Yes. It wasn't an argument, she was trying to convince me. Bethany is unhappy with school and wants to study the family history. I don't know Sebastian," Melissa said, sliding into a chair and covering her face with her hands. "I just wanted to go to work like I did this summer. I know nothing about nonprofit management, or management at all."

"So hire someone who does. You can just be the last say. It can be more of an honor than anything else. My father is president of several different initiatives and charities but all he actually runs it he bank," Sebastian said, coming to sit down next to her. He slid the plate of toast her way. "Eat. You need carbs, a wise woman once told me that."

"She was full of shit," Melissa said, but she cracked a smile at him. "Do you want to come with me to see the house? Bethany's meeting me there at noon, to show me what's already been started with the work."

"I've nothing planned for today," he said, words muffled by the huge bite of his own buttered toast that he took as he spoke. "And I haven't been there recently."

"We should dress for it, I don't think the heat is on yet. The roof was fixed before it got cold, so there shouldn't be any snow inside of it."

There were so many repairs to do to the Amell house, it might just take until Bethany was out of school anyway to get it up and running. She'd fallen silent as she thought on it, and Sebastian didn't interrupt her thoughts. His phone rang in the bedroom and Sebastian left her to answer it. By the time he came back, she'd made herself tea and the bacon she'd started was finished. He was giving her a look almost as confused as the one she'd worn after Bethany convinced her to president of the Amell Foundation.

"Well, today is full of surprising calls," he said softly. "First you and your new presidential role and then my brother phones out of the blue. He's asked us to lunch at Mezzo. I told him we'd meet him there at two, since we're seeing the house at noon."

"Your brother? Which brother?"

"My middle brother, Rion, or rather Orion, if we're being formal. He's in town for the day, or so he said. He's never come to Kirkwall before that I know of. Maybe he has and he just never visited me. Maker, I haven't seen him in years, not since I had to leave Starkhaven. He was married after I left, but I wasn't invited." Sebastian sat back down at the table and added the bacon to his plate, and another piece of toast.

"He didn't invite you to his wedding?" Melissa asked, voice rising with anger.

"I suspect he couldn't. I sent them a gift. It's fine, Lissa, it really is. I'm actually nervous. I wonder what's going on."

Melissa sighed, her earlier general anxiety replaced with a new, more specific brand of it. She definitely hadn't gotten enough sleep to deal with today. Sebastian kept on eating, looking thoughtful, but she just sipped at her tea. There had to be something in her closet appropriate for both seeing a decrepit old mansion and fine dining.

#

Sebastian had to go back to the KSE house to find a suit to wear and get his good winter coat. As tempting as it was to go to Mezzo in sweatpants that said Kirkwall Tech down the leg in giant white block letters, no one would dare throw him out, he wanted to make the best possible impression on his brother Rion. He took his time shaving, picking out a tie, getting ready and putting himself together before he texted Melissa to see if she was ready.

_"At the Viscount's Keep. Meet you at the house."_

_"It's too cold to wait for the bus in whatever you have on. Don't be stubborn,"_ he wrote back.

_"I already left. You took forever. The Keep is steps from the estate."_

He sighed, annoyed with her and himself. He had taken a little longer than he'd said, but she didn't have to go running around Kirkwall in whatever she'd picked out to wear. When he'd left her she'd showered and scrubbed her face, and was sitting at her desk with all of her makeup out and some of Isabela's. It had been tempting to stay there and watch her, Melissa didn't wear makeup regularly, and he liked watching her whenever she got ready to go out.

If she'd already left, he would need to hurry to catch up.

Orion was his brother, but he was more like their father than any of them. Graham, the Crown Prince, Duke of Lennox, was more like his mother. Graham and Orion had the same mother, while Sebastian's mother was their father's second wife. Graham was more like his mother than their father, or at least that was what Sebastian suspected. Twelve years older than Sebastian, Rion was like their father, but happier, softer. He'd always been the one to try to encourage Sebastian to do better, to remember his duty to Starkhaven.

He wondered how Orion's life was now. Was his brother happy? Why was he visiting? Had Sebastian crossed some invisible line that he hadn't realized, offended his brother in the past and was only now being forgiven? It was entirely possible. Or maybe Rion had just been busy, he was a vice president and worked diligently in his role in the Bank of Starkhaven. Aside from a few details shared by his parents in emails, Sebastian had to admit that he didn't really know his brother, and couldn't guess what had brought him to Kirkwall. The past four and a half years had gone by without Sebastian hearing from him, and he wondered if everything was alright. Why this sudden visit? His nerves would get the better of him if he didn't leave now, and Melissa and Bethany were waiting for him. Melissa was likely walking in the cold, skittering from the Viscount's Keep to her family house in her dress, and Sebastian's frustration with her was renewed thinking about it as he put his coat on.

Bethany was just walking up to the house when he got there, carrying two hot drinks in paper cups. She looked very like Leandra from behind, only younger, and clad in leggings and a puffy white coat. She was fumbling with the keys, trying to hold onto both drinks without setting them on the cold ground, and Sebastian rushed over to help.

"I can hold your drinks," he said, smiling at her. "But I doubt it's warmer in there."

"Oh Sebastian, good timing! Did Lissy tell you to come?" Bethany asked, handing him the cups. "I wish she'd said you were coming, I would have gotten you a drink too. I'd offer you Lissy's but I got that green tea she likes."

"It's fine," he said as he heard the lock to the door click and Bethany pushed it open. She waved her hand to dispel a ward on the lock, probably one she'd set herself. He felt the slight tingle that always breathed over his skin whenever magic was used, but Bethany's magicks were warm and friendly and smelled faintly of chili peppers and limes.

The inside of the Amell mansion was dark and had a slightly strange mix of artificial floral scents to it from the cleaning. The air wasn't stale, which was good, it meant that someone was coming in to the place to take care of it, to air it out and make sure that it stayed clean. The fact that there was little dust in the entryway confirmed that, and if he had to guess, it was probably Bethany or Leandra that came to care for the house regularly. They stood in the doorway and he looked inside with interest.

Gone was the trash and dirt, the windows were clean and had sunlight shining through them. The house was completely bare, and other than a new set of padlocks on the doors it looked much like any other run-down, empty old house. Paint peeled from the walls, and what had once surely been a grand fireplace was crudely blocked, boarded with a piece of wood. Bethany set the drinks on a small table in the entryway Sebastian hadn't noticed, and picked up a letter that was left there for her. As she read it, Sebastian studied her.

She was so like Melissa in so many ways, but favored Leandra more. The sisters looked alike from about the nose up, although Bethany's nose was slightly smaller than Melissa's. Her face was round and soft, holding a hint of childishness in it that Melissa lacked. They had the same small brown eyes, eyes that came from their mother. He saw so much of Leandra in Bethany, but there was a little Hawke in there too, features he only recognized from Lissa. While Melissa's hair was long and such a deep onyx it looked impossibly shiny all of the time, Bethany's hair was a duller, more brown-leaning shade of black. She wore it shorter, cut to her shoulders and had a natural curl Melissa's heavy hair lacked.

Bethany was still reading her letter, oblivious to his scrutiny. In her leggings, heavy coat, hat and boots, she was prepared better than he for the cold of the house. Sebastian shivered in his wool coat, pulling his scarf closed around his neck.

"Why are you dressed up? Do you have some princely business or something?" Bethany asked.

"I guess you could call it that. My brother is here and we're going to eat with him after this," he told her.

"Your brother came to Kirkwall? I thought you didn't see them much?"

"I haven't seen either of my brothers in years. I don't know why Rion's come here," Sebastian admitted. "But I hope it's good news, for once."

"Here's hoping. Where are you going to eat?" she asked.

"Mezzo. I haven't been there in a while, so I hope it's still as good as I remember. What's going on with the house?"

"Cleaning right now. They got rid of the vermin, patched up some holes so they couldn't get back in, removed any biohazard waste, and ugh, you do not want to know. But from there, we're replacing windows and doing all the major work we can once it gets warm enough. The roof has been patched for the winter, but it isn't permanent.'

"That's a lot of work so far," Sebastian said, impressed. "I hadn't realized all of that was going on."

"Well, we got that saving historic buildings grant from the Viscount, so we went to work as soon as possible. Did you know this was built for our family, back when we became nobles? The structure that was here before was knocked down and this one built, so at least it's only a few ages old instead of some of the really ancient houses here in Hightown. I wonder how the Viscount even has running water. His house is older than almost all of them here."

Sebastian chuckled. "I've never thought about it before, but you're right."

"How's your building going? Know any good restoration carpenters?" she asked.

"I probably do. I can ask around. I'm going to head over there tomorrow to check on progress myself. My building was ahead of schedule before the holiday, but winter has a way of throwing off plans," he said.

"Hi, I'm here, sorry I'm late," Melissa said as the door opened behind her, letting in a flood of light. Sebastian turned away from it, his eyes acclimated to the darkness of the house around them. He heard her shut the door and her heels clacked on the broken stone tiles of the entrance as she came closer.

All he could see of her outfit was her coat and shoes, and he wondered what she'd chosen to wear for their lunch with his brother. The coat was a departure from her white and brown coat, it was loosely structured, a sandy boucle fabric that went past her knees and belted at the waist. It wasn't practical for keeping very warm on cold days, but it looked warm enough for her to get in the car and go to the restaurant, provided she didn't freeze in this house first. When Melissa came up to him, she handed him a cup of coffee, and took her tea from Bethany. He smiled at her, grateful for the warmth of both the drink she provided and her company.

"Thank you," he muttered, taking the cup in both hands and letting the heat bleed through his leather gloves. He kissed her on the cheek, and Melissa smiled up at him in return. They linked arms and he was warmer still in seconds, as the two of them stood sharing their heat.

"Maker's breath, I've never seen you all done up like that. You look amazing. Were you contouring this whole time? How long did it take you to do all of that?" Bethany asked.

"It wasn't the makeup, I was at the Keep. I had paperwork to file for Gamlen."

"Ugh," was all the response Bethany gave, but Sebastian's curiosity was piqued. He'd have to ask her about it later.

"All right B, show me what's going on here?" Melissa said, and let her sister lead them into the house.

She didn't sound nearly as apprehensive as he was expecting her to sound, and gasped with surprise when she saw how clean the house was.

"We need more money, Lissy, if we're going to fix it up right."

"Is that what you want to me to help with, as president?"

"Well, yes, but I can do a lot on my own. And you can sign your name, can't you? That's all I need for some of these applications. We're restricted from getting more money and raising it by our lack of personnel, but think about what we could do if we had it right now?" Bethany spread her arms wide and spun around in a circle, smiling at them. "A grand entry way leading into here, with this fireplace. A crackling fire in the grate, and furnishings appropriate to the era when the house was built."

Melissa laughed, but Sebastian could see it. He wanted to see it, because Bethany sounded so earnestly happy talking about it.

"That's the original chandelier, at least it's the one Mother remembers," Bethany told them, pointing at the ceiling.

"And look at the windows, they're so big and let in so much light! I mean imagine them without the broken panes!" Bethany said, and Sebastian smiled. Her enthusiasm alone would sell the house to an ambivalent buyer, and he'd seen Melissa's face light up as she took her first look around. She was going to fall in love with this place.

Good thing it already belonged to her family.

#

It wasn't far from the Amell house to the restaurant, but even so, they were slowed down waiting for a parade of Templars as they marched to the Keep. Melissa watched from the car as the lot of them, all recruits from the look of their armor, filed from the street to the steps of the Keep. They kept marching until they got to the doors, and one blew on a bugle, asking to be admitted by the Viscount's forces. They drove away, so she couldn't see if they were able to go in or not, but she suspected the ceremony went off without too much trouble.

"What were they doing?" she asked Sebastian.

"Probably bringing the Viscount his Satinalia present from the Chantry and the Order. It's customary for the Chantry to thank the leaders who allow them to reside in their cities with a present at this time of year," Sebastian explained. "In Starkhaven, it happens in the winter market on Feastday, but it's similar."

"I want to talk about the house, but tell me about your brother before we get there," she said.

He grinned at her, but it was tinged with nerves. She could see it in his eyes, in the way his smile wasn't quite as wide as the one she usually got. "There's not much to say, really. I don't know how Rion's been the past years, and we weren't close before that. He was always kind to me as a child, looks a great deal like our father and married to a man named Edward, though I think they call him Ted. I've never met him, at least not that I remember."

"So no idea what we're walking into?" she asked, and he flinched, just a little before he shook his head.

"I wish I knew."

They don't have to wait at Mezzo, even though the after lunch crowd was bigger than she'd hoped. They didn't wait because Sebastian's brother was already seated, and he'd used his title. As soon as Sebastian said he was there to meet his brother, everyone on staff was at their best. They fawned over her and Sebastian, calling her Lady Melissa. She nearly groaned, but if she was going to be president of the Amell Family Foundation, she guessed she should get used to it.

Mezzo was a beautiful restaurant, and though she'd never been before, she'd eaten the food. Sebastian had bought it once before, and introduced her to squid ink pasta, which had quickly become a briny, dark favorite whenever she saw it on a menu. She glanced around carefully as they were led into the bright yellow dining room, the painted walls a contrast to the lone red brick wall that served as an accent. As she held onto Sebastian's hand, they wended their way through a forest of white tablecloth-covered tables that all seemed to hold some member of the nobility or some rich bastard that she knew either by sight or name.

She wanted to scowl as one of the de Launcet sisters stopped Sebastian to say hello, but Melissa thought of her sister. These nobles were the people that had all but scorned them until Mother reclaimed the title, then sent her cards of congratulations and invited her to lunch as if she'd simply just gotten to Kirkwall. They never came around once to Lowtown, careful to keep the boundary between them and her, though they tacitly accepted Mother, and her by extension. She should hate them, they'd earned it. But these were also the people that would write the checks to save their house, that would eat expensive dinners and buy antiques or whatever fundraisers they could throw at them, just so they could say they'd been there. Melissa smiled as they spoke, and seemed far more kind than she really felt.

Bethany had been right about the house. It was still mostly a disaster, but it would be amazing when it came together. They'd talked about history, about their family and what it would mean to be the president. It didn't sound all that bad, and Melissa would be able to work a job that gave her a better income once she graduated. Melissa couldn't stop talking about it to Sebastian on the way to the restaurant. She was bubbling over with enthusiasm, so much that Melissa forgot to be nervous about her first meeting with Sebastian's family.

"What do you think of a fundraiser after First Day?" she asked in a murmur as they continued through the dining room. She was trying to distract him as they were shown around the edge of the busy group of diners, many of whom looked up at the two of them and offered some form of greeting or acknowledgement. She hoped her dress, a very embellished and fine taupe colored sheath dress with gold buttons, was appropriate.

"I think that's wise, love. Something formal, like a dinner or silent auction will get the right people interested. There's Rion over there," he said softly. "Maker, he looks almost exactly like my father did when he was younger." She heard the slight cringe in his voice as he said it, and Melissa squeezed his hand.

"Rion," he called out as they neared a table partially behind a screen and slightly away from the other diners, and his brother stood to greet them.

"Sebastian, look at you! My goodness, it's been too long since we've seen each other. You look like a man grown. But where are my manners, this must be the Lady Melissa you said would be joining us," Rion said, giving both her and Sebastian hugs in turn. "Sit, sit," he said, waving a hand at them.

He wasn't what she'd been expecting at all. Orion looked like Sebastian in only the broadest strokes, the shape of their noses save for the break in Sebastian's, the line of their jaws, and the color of their eyes, but Rion had fairer hair and a loud, booming voice that sounded merry, especially when combined with his Starkhaven accent. Rion spoke like he was making his words dance on the bright, cheerful growl of his voice. He wasn't as tall as Sebastian, a fact that seemed to shock them both when they hugged.

"The last time I saw you, I was taller than you," Rion said, and Sebastian chuckled.

"I must've grown since I left, though I hardly noticed it. It's good to see you, brother."

"It's nice to meet you, Your Highness," Melissa interjected, and they both looked a little surprised to see her still standing there.

"And you, Lady Melissa. But I won't use titles if you won't," Rion said, raising an eyebrow at her. "I'd like to just call you Melissa and ask all sorts of nosy questions, starting with, did you dress him? Sebastian never had any eye for clothes before, and now he comes in here in a three piece suit and manages to make it look decidedly cool. If I wore that, I'd just look like a stuffy old librarian."

Melissa laughed, she couldn't help herself. She was more relieved than truly amused but she had to admit that Sebastian's suit, dark grey with a maroon tie did fit him well. It wasn't quite the black suit he'd worn at the formal in the fall, but this was nice too. "He dressed himself today, and I'm impressed."

"You look lovely too, Lissa, but you do everyday," Sebastian said to her, making Rion laugh. Sebastian smiled too, though his was tinged with nerves. He seemed outwardly in control, but next to her she felt his leg bobbing up and down as he bounced it double time under the table. She rested a hand on his knee to calm him, and he subsided.

"You two are very cute. Let's order drinks, and we can talk," Rion said, his voice still painted with amusement.

Sebastian ordered another coffee, and she stuck with tea, but Rion went with wine. "I can't drink at home, I'm too busy," he explained, but then turned to Sebastian. "As good as it is to see you, and it is good, I've always worried about you. You should know that I'm quitting the bank of Starkhaven."

"You are?" Sebastian asked, managing to mostly disguise his surprise. He did put his coffee cup down, and his leg started jiggling once more.

"I wanted to tell you myself, before Father could give you his version. A lot has happened since you've been away," Rion sighed and looked over his menu. "My kids, and I hope our father told you I had children."

"I got an email," Sebastian said, and Rion scowled.

"Yes, well, my children aren't in the line of succession. He says that they aren't born Vaels, so they don't carry the blood, but what does that matter? We barely carry the blood, and it's not as if they know they're adopted right now, they're toddlers. The only way people know they're not biologically my kids is because they're being kept from their birthright. So I resigned in protest after we couldn't come to an agreement," Rion said.

Melissa took a sip of her tea, her mind racing as she tried to figure out everything that was being said. She looked up from her menu and saw the confusion on Sebastian's face and the defiance on Rion's and asked, "You were kept from seeing Sebastian before, weren't you?"

"He wasn't allowed to come back and we weren't supposed to distract him from his studies. So I'm sorry you didn't get any invitations to the wedding or baby showers, but I didn't think you'd be interested. He's only started talking about you again in the last year or so, you know. Before that Sebastian might as well have not existed."

"I am sorry, Rion. I wish I could have been there for those moments, and to meet your children. But explain to me why you left the bank?"

"Because he wanted me to work, work all the time. I was barely home, and when I was, I would eat dinner late, watch my kids sleep and work in my office at home. I was head of international operations, and we traveled all the time. I had to take Ted with me when we first got married because otherwise I'd never see him. But why would I continue to do this if my children weren't even going to benefit? A year we went back and forth, with father promising me that we could come to a compromise. We didn't, so I left."

There was a pause to order food, and Melissa thought about it some more. Orion was here in defiance of his father, to see Sebastian. All the rules were being broken now -- he had nothing to lose. Once the food was ordered, Melissa put her hand on Rion's arm and asked to see photos of his kids.

The smile he gave her was transcendent, erasing any trace of the anger and hurt that he'd worn before when talking about his father. He took out both his phone and wallet, and showing her both staged and candid photos. She passed them to Sebastian, who grew softer and less suspicious as he looked at them.

"This is Bernard, but we call him Boots. And the little one is Mervis. We adopted both of them as newborns."

"They're adorable," Melissa said truthfully. She loved children, though she didn't have much experience with them. Her future plans, whatever they may be, had always vaguely included having kids, if not getting married. She liked the idea of being a mother, and somehow it wasn't as scary as thinking about the eternal compromise of marriage in her mind.

"Thank you, Melissa. I am just crazy about them. They're our world, and now I get to spend time with them."

"It must be difficult to give up your career," she ventured, and Rion nodded.

"At first when Ted brought it up, that I should leave, it was unthinkable. I actually laughed. I've been in the business ever since I graduated college, and then I moved up after I got my graduate degree in international relations. Everything I did was in preparation to join the company. I felt like I was giving up too much of my life by leaving it behind, but you know, we all have to give up something in the end. I didn't want to compromise, much like Father didn't, but in both cases I was the one losing. So I left. Officially I'm on sabbatical indefinitely, but I feel like that's just so he can keep himself open to negotiations."

"It's hard to balance family and such a demanding job," she said quietly and Rion again nodded.

"It is."

"Rion, not that I'm not glad to see you, but you could have sent an email or called. Why are you here in Kirkwall?" Sebastian asked.

"I wanted to see if you would see me. We never knew why you left, Sebastian, just that Father and Cristina decided that you had to go to the Chantry," Rion said.

"You make it sound as if I decided to leave. I am exiled from Starkhaven. I cannot go home," Sebastian said, and his shoulders slumped slightly as he did. Though he'd kept his voice quiet, she felt like other people in the dining room turned to listen to them.

"This is the number one table," Rion said, watching her eyes as she looked around the room.

"He means that it's the most private and exclusive. Some places have a sort of hierarchy of seating, and the people at the number one table are the most famous or distinguished. With two princes and a Kirkwall noble, we'd need the Empress of Orlais to visit at the same time to have been displaced from this table," Sebastian explained with a chuckle. "They can't really hear us, Lissa. Every time Rion wants the waiter, he summons them."

"Oh," she said, feeling foolish that she'd been so obvious.

"But Sebastian, we didn't know that they'd made you leave until after you were gone. Cristina was thundering around and Father was tearing out his hair. I couldn't invite you to the wedding, couldn't contact you. I didn't get your phone number from them, you know."

"How then?" Sebastian asked, looking over at his brother in surprise.

"Your housemates gave it to me, someone called Worthy. I had to find you first, so I searched for your name on the internet, and I saw you were the president of the Kirkwall Society of Engineers. So I called over there looking for you yesterday and he said you were staying with your girlfriend for the holiday and to try your mobile number. After a little persuasion, he gave me your number. I had to work up the nerve to call all last night," Rion admitted with a sheepish half-laugh. "I thought you hated me."

"Never. Does Graham feel the same way?"

"I don't know. He doesn't talk about you much. The way we were told, you were angry, belligerent, promiscuous and would probably need to be dedicated to the Chantry as a brother once you finished school. Cristina, sorry, your mother is a big fan of you being in the Chantry. She has been asking Elthina to make you dedicate yourself after you finish school."

She and Sebastian shared a confused look of incredulity before turning back to Rion. He was shaking his head, but didn't elaborate. Instead the food came out, and he deliberately changed the subject as their late lunches were put in front of them.

"We shouldn't talk of such weighty things while we eat, it causes indigestion. We've talked a good deal about ourselves, but Melissa, I'm eager to know more about you," Rion said. "How did the two of you meet? At school?"

"We had some classes together," Melissa said. "I'm a mathematics major, so there's a little overlap. We started dating in the spring."

"She came to a party at the house, tried shamelessly to get me to kiss her, used me to hide from her ex, and charmed me into getting her the good beer, so naturally I asked her to dinner after that," Sebastian said, giving her a wry smile. "We've been together ever since."

"And you're from Ferelden? You have the accent."

"That's right. I came from a town called Lothering, but my mother is Lady Amell. My father was Fereldan, and we lived there all my life until coming here. I have a younger brother and a sister, twins, Bethany and Carver. Bethany is a mage and Carver is a Warden."

"Really?" Rion asked, his eyes wide. "A mage and a Warden. That's very interesting. Is your sister in the Circle here?"

"No, actually we just saw her before we came here. She and I are staring restoration work on our family home, and she's the historian." Melissa wisely decided to leave her part out of the narrative, as she didn't explain that Bethany was seeking an out from her studies as a healer. Those sort of details were probably best left until she knew Rion a little bit better.

Instead she told both him and Sebastian the story of the time she, Bethany and Carver wanted to go ice skating in the middle of summer, so Bethany froze an inflatable pool full of water until her mana gave out and the little pool burst from the expanding ice. The meal needed a little lightness in the conversation, and by the time she finished the story, but Sebastian and his brother were laughing.

Even though she'd never come out and ask, she suspected it was a far better story than anything either Sebastian or Orion could tell about growing up in Starkhaven. Even as she laughed and enjoyed her pasta, she felt a little sad for the Vael brothers.

"I want to get a picture with the two of you," Orion declared after lunch was over. He beckoned over a waiter and had them take the picture on his phone, and promptly sent it to both her and Sebastian. "I've had a much better time than I thought I would. Thank you for meeting me."

"It was good to see you, Rion," Sebastian said, clapping him on the shoulder. "You'll stay in touch, won't you?" he asked, and her heart almost broke at the plea in his tone.

"Course, Sebastian. It'd be a shame to let this be a one time meeting. Take care, Lady Melissa. It was good to meet you."

"Bring your kids so we can spoil them. Come to graduation," she said, hoping she wasn't overstepping her bounds.

"Yes, that would be perfect timing," Sebastian added. "We'll have more time then."

"I will, I will. Ted will love to visit too. He'll be excited to meet you both," Rion told them, and then they said goodbye, hugging again, but this time they were harder, more lingering than that had been in greeting.

They didn't speak as they drove back to her apartment, and Sebastian was still silent as she took off her dress and makeup, letting her curled hair stay down in a wavy curtain as she slipped into more comfortable clothes. Sebastian took off his suit, hung it up on the back of her door to take for cleaning and put on his usual sweatpants and hoodie, but didn't wear a shirt under it. He curled up on her couch, and though he didn't ask, he didn't protest when she sat on his lap. Immediately his hands went up to steady her, to hold her.

"I have your gift," Melissa told him.

"Oh?"

"Here," she said, handing him the piece of paper she was holding.

"Learn to cook real Nevarran food,' he read, and looked up at her. His smile was still a little sad, but real happiness was in it. "You got me cooking lessons."

"You said Nevarran was your favorite when you asked me to dinner that first night. I thought you'd like it."

"You remember everything." He kissed her nose, and then looked at the paper again. "They're for two."

"I can't let you brave cooking classes alone," she told him, and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I know you're with me, always. I love you, Liss. I just, I don't know what to say about Orion and everything else today."

"You don't have to say anything. Figure it out. I'm here when you want to talk. Until then, we're just celebrating Satinalia together," she said.

"Your gift is in my bag. I should have given it to you this morning, I meant to, so you could wear it, but I took too long, like you said."

"Do you want me to get it?" she asked, but he shook his head.

"Just stay here with me for right now, I just need you here," he said.

So she did.


	6. Tuesday

Tuesday

He wanted to stay in bed all day, to just let it roll by without participating in it at all. Sebastian never stayed in bed all day, not even when he was just doing nothing around the KSE house. He hadn't slept for most of the day since he used to go out only at night. That felt like forever ago, but shock threw him for a loop, and he slid into long abandoned practices.

It was already past the time when Melissa got up, went back to sleep and got up again. She wasn't in bed, but since Sebastian wasn't going to get out of it until he had to, he wasn't sure where she was. The apartment was quiet, but that meant nothing. Melissa was deceptively good at sneaking around when she wanted to be. Sebastian turned away from the sun that was leaking through the gaps in her curtains. Meeting his brother yesterday had stirred up things he thought he'd already dealt with, feelings that left him drained and confused, unsure of what to make of the whole meeting. It had been nice to see Rion, to meet him and not have their parents or some disappointment hanging between them, but it was too much.

His mother wanted him to stay in the Chantry, for whatever reason of her own. To go back to it, even now, after all he'd done to change, to turn his life into something better than he'd ever thought it could be. She didn't care, didn't acknowledge it. It was as if nothing he'd done mattered, none of the things he'd achieved would count for more than just preparation to send him to be a poor Chantry scholar. He was sitting for his engineer in training exam in the spring, so he could be eligible to get his professional license as an engineer after a few years of work. None of that would ever have the chance of happening if he was forced back into the blighted Chantry.

Maker forgive him, but he was never going back to the Chantry. He was who he was, and that was a prince of Starkhaven, even in exile.

He fell back into an uneasy sleep on that thought, but his bladder forced him from the bed sooner rather than later. When he finally took care of that, Sebastian went into the kitchen to find Melissa there, staring out the window with her laptop and book for combinatorics in front of her. She gave him a kind, placid smile when she finally registered he was in the room. In her overlarge Kirkwall Tech hoodie and messy bun, she still made his heart leap at the sight of her. He wanted this to be his everyday, waking up and seeing her, going to sleep beside her.

The Chantry wasn't his path.

"I thought you were going to sleep all day," she said. "It's afternoon."

"I could've, but decided to get up just to see your pretty face, sweetheart."

Melissa grinned at his small flirtation, but Sebastian wasn't at ease enough to smile back at her, despite his quip. "Yesterday was a lot to take in; I didn't want to wake you," she said, marking in the page in her book and setting it aside in favor of her laptop. It was already open, but she hadn't been paying attention to it before. She tapped softly on the keys to wake it up again.

"Let's take an easy day in," she suggested. "It's afternoon already but only just, and we don't have plans. I'll make you something to eat and you shower. We won't go out unless we need something," she said and gave him a soft smile.

"I don't want to avoid talking about what Rion said yesterday, everything he said, and I'm in no rush to go out in the cold today, that's for sure," he said, and punctuated the statement with a loud yawn. She rolled her eyes at his theatrics and he gave her a half-hearted smile. "Some vacation," he muttered. "We've been going nonstop since school got out."

"Why do you think I left you alone today? You seemed like you need space and rest."

"Had some thinking to do. Lissa, I, huh, I don't know what to say, where to begin." He scrubbed a hand through his hair, mussing it further since he hadn't bothered to brush it when he got up. He was silent for so long Melissa stopped what she was doing at her computer and looked up at him. "I'm not going back to the Chantry," he finally said.

"So I gathered."

"But Liss, it's not the Chantry, not really. My mom, she came to visit me after, she believed in me. Or so I thought. I should call her, talk to my other brother Graham, try to understand more. Part of me doesn't want to believe it, but I know how much she likes to keep up appearances. A son in the Chantry would line up with her family heritage and the Vael tradition, and I am not the heir or the spare, that would be Graham and Rion."

Sebastian dropped into a chair, and picked up her combinatorics book, glanced at it, and then pushed it back towards her. "I don't want to go back to the Chantry, even after all they did for me," he admitted. It felt wrong to so boldly state that after all he'd learned there, all the things they'd done for him when he was at his lowest. "Not at all, but that makes me feel guilty to say it. I wish I could love it the way some people do when they are dedicated, but I see my future, our future after graduation and I can't, Lissa. And I'm baffled as to why my mom would want that for me, even after all that I've accomplished."

"You can't know when she said that, or in what context," Melissa pointed out sensibly and he nodded.

"I thought about that too, and it's possible she was misunderstood. Just in case though, my backup plan is to get married." He gave her a grin as he said it, leaning in towards her and lowering his voice. "They can't make me a brother if you make an honest man of me." There was nothing but suggestion in his voice, promising just the opposite of an honest man.

"Just the romantic proposal I was hoping for," Melissa laughed, then reached across the table to take his hand. "You're gonna be fine, love. I won't let anything happen to you, Sebastian." Melissa looked him straight in the eye as she said it, and finally, something within him lifted. It didn't fix everything, no words could, but she wouldn't lie, not about this.

"You're the only person I know that makes me believe that," he said and kissed her before he went to shower.

#

Melissa's brunch for Sebastian was finished before he came back into the kitchen, clad in only a towel. He took the coffee and left to get dressed, only pausing to casually let his towel drop as he walked from the kitchen. Her giggles followed him out and she was still smiling as she turned back to her computer.

And then she went back to working on the paperwork she'd been forwarded from the Viscount's office about the Amell Foundation, and her claim to disinherit Gamlen. It was an ugly business, but she was determined to do it. Earlier Sebastian accused her of not wanting to face the future, so here she was, doing what she could to make sure it was what she wanted. Gamlen had to be dealt with, her family secure and the Amell Foundation up and running.

She always had someone to take care of, and Melissa was a little exhausted by it. She'd been taking care of everyone she loved since her father got sick when she was fourteen. Sebastian didn't understand that though, and likely never would, he couldn't know what it had been like for them. But he'd brought up marriage again, and she didn't want to avoid that topic forever, especially since he was likely serious about using it as a way to keep himself free of Chantry life.

And yesterday with Sebastian's brother, she'd realized something she'd always known in her heart. She wanted to have children, and more importantly, she wanted to have them with someone like Sebastian. It had taken his brother Rion years and the strength lent to him by a loving spouse and two kids to walk away from the family business, all that money and power and prestige, and even now he hadn't fully extricated himself. Sebastian had picked himself up after years of neglect, ill-treatment and exile, and worked to become a better person, an educated man who had skills no one else in his family had.

Hadn't she done the same thing? Changed her circumstances to fit the life she wanted to have. He never knew when he could go home, so Sebastian had made a different home for himself. Yes, he had money, and Maker, there was such an uncomfortable difference in how Sebastian saw broke and the kind of poverty she'd known, but he could have so much more if only he asked them to take him back.

And he never did. He wanted to be his own man. She understood him so well now, after meeting his brother.

Her thoughts were all scrambled up now, because she was still afraid and apprehensive about the whole idea of marriage. Being married. Having a husband. Sebastian as her husband, and they would be together forever by law. It seemed like it contained so much compromise and pressure that landed squarely on her shoulders. Though she loved her parents dearly, she was scared to death that she'd wind up like them, making their mistakes, living their lives in poverty and trying to find the nobility in it. Andraste preserve her, that was one her biggest fears. She didn't want to be her parents. Sebastian wasn't her father, he wasn't a mage in genteel poverty with a pregnant girlfriend who was sneaking out from beneath the watchful gazes of her noble parents to be with him. Melissa was educated, titled and older now than her mother was when she had the twins.

She'd made her life different, her choices made her life her own.

"I still owe you a gift for yesterday," Sebastian said, shattering her thoughts and making her look up from the computer. He'd been watching her for the last few moments, sipping another cup of coffee and picking at the food she'd left him.

"You can save it for Feastday," she suggested, but he shook his head.

"That wouldn't be fair, and you know I'm all about parity."

"I'll get your gift for today," she said and got up. Sebastian followed her, and she sat down on the bed after taking his gift out of her closet. It was wrapped, but very obviously a book because of its shape and size.

"Here," Melissa said, offering it to him. He took it but didn't unwrap it, instead giving her two more jewelry boxes in exchange for it.

"Open the one with the orange bow first, please," he said, looking at her.

"Does it matter?" she asked, picking up the box.

"Not really, I just had them color-coded," Sebastian admitted with a shrug. "I hate to break it now."

Melissa picked up the box, which looked like a watch box. When she pulled the ribbon free, it wasn't a watch inside, but a large silver cuff, with an intricately cut design that looked like lace. She grinned as she put it on. "This is beautiful. Where did you find all of these? They've all been amazing."

"Open the next one," Sebastian answered, smiling at her.

The next box with a pale ribbon tied around it, was more earrings, this time single grey pearl studs. It was the kind of thing she loved -- sleek, classic and easy to pair with anything -- they fit into the clear image she saw of herself as a working professional. Maker, she wanted that image to fall into life now, without the hassle of a spring semester. Her desire to work and make money as she had over the summer was starting to consume her.

Sebastian opened his present after she finished with hers, and found the book she'd bought for him. He was a civil engineer, and so had to pass an engineer in training test before he could attain professional licensure. His was in the spring, and if he wanted to pass it on the first try, he'd have to start studying now. The book was a study guide.

"It's more practical than your gifts," she started, feeling the imbalance of their gifts once more, but he shook his head.

"Jewelry is practical, ask anyone, and it doesn't make your gift any less thoughtful, Liss. I needed this book. Thank you, love." Sebastian leaned in to brush a quick kiss across her cheek. "I'll look at it today, since we've no plans to go out."

She almost opened her mouth to talk about the future, about Gamlen and the whole mess of her thoughts, but stopped herself. Today she just wanted to sit, to think, and Sebastian needed to do the same. Instead of talking, Melissa got up, stretched and reached a hand out to Sebastian. "I should finish the paperwork I started, then we can do nothing for the rest of the day."

"I really like the sound of that," Sebastian said and yawned.

#

It was rare that he and Melissa just did nothing all day, and infinitely agreeable. Most of the day Sebastian had spent sprawled on the couch, reading. The engineering test book had been abandoned after an hour or so, and he'd moved on to reading fiction. Reading a book for pleasure felt so decadent to him after all the years of studying and forced reading assignments and trying to scramble information together to write reports.

Melissa was curled up on the couch, knitting and listening to music with her headphones on. The dull clack of her needles didn't even register as the day went on, the afternoon light fading into an early and rainy evening. He got up once to poke around in the kitchen, and made Melissa a cup of tea with their late lunch.

He knew it wouldn't last.

Sebastian wasn't given to cynicism normally, but every day this week had been interrupted, and despite the holiday, people were still doing business.

"Hey, what's up?" Melissa said suddenly, and it took him a moment to realize she'd answered a call and hadn't just remembered he was there.

"What? No, seriously? Okay. I'll be right there." She leapt up, not even bothering to mark her place on her blanket, and he knew something dire had happened.

Before he could ask her what was going on, she was on the phone again, and no explanation was necessary. "Aveline, Felice is back. She somehow tracked down Fenris and thought Isabela might be with him, and she's still there on campus trying to wheedle information out of him. No, he just called me. Okay." She went into her bedroom and came back out with her things, and looked over to apprise him, but there was no need, he was already moving.

He was standing at the door with his keys in hand, shoving his feet into his shoes when she came over to put on her own shoes, cursing in a way that showed she didn't actually curse that often. He almost smiled at her stilted exclamations, but they had to go.

Campus wasn't far, and they were there in minutes, barging into the Honors Dorm and running up the stairs to Fenris' room. Aveline was supposed to call campus security for them, but he guessed that Melissa had a few questions she wanted to ask Felice before that. For all their rush to confront her, Sebastian had almost thought she wouldn't be there, but she was still in the dorm room he'd just visited at the end of last week, sitting primly on the chair while Fenris poured her a glass of wine. She started when he and Melissa came through the door, Sebastian's long stride making him outpace Melissa as they came down the hall to the room.

Her veil was off, for the first time, and Sebastian realized Melissa had been right; Felice was probably about nineteen years old. She looked like any girl at the college, except for the fact she was still wearing full mourning clothes. She had neat blonde hair with highlights that were growing out, and pale green eyes. Her face was pretty, but she had circles under her eyes and a few pimples that dotted her chin.

Felice was nothing like Isabela, whose lush curves made admirers of many within moments of meeting her, but he was fairly certain that had been Luis' point in selecting her. Sebastian hadn't known Luis at all, but he'd known scum before, hell, he was related to some, and knew how they operated.

"You're here," Fenris said calmly as Sebastian fell into the room. "I thought I might have to sacrifice all my wine."

"You called them?" Felice asked, sounding scandalized.

"Of course. Isabela is not in Kirkwall, but I thought Hawke might want to know you were poking around."

"Thank you, I did want to know, and so did the guard, who have also already been called," she said, still slightly out of breath from running up the stairs. She stopped in front of Felice and looked down at her.

"He didn't leave you anything, did he?" she asked, surprising Sebastian with the softness in her voice.

"No." Felice shook her head, but instead of sadness, she laughed bitterly. "He left it all to her. I don't know why, why my husband would do such a vindictive thing. To get back at me? But I will never know what I did to him."

Melissa shook her head. "That can't be right. Isabela didn't get everything. There has to be someone else."

"What?" Felice looked startled for a moment, then shook her head. "If you mean to protect her, then there is no need."

"No, I don't. I think you've got your wires crossed. Whatever Luis did or didn't do can't be solved here, and definitely not by stalking Isabela's life until you wear down her friends," Melissa told her.

"She means you need to go home," Sebastian said, crossing his arms over his chest as he did. Unlike Melissa's surprising sympathy, he had none for this girl. Something about her was wrong, and he knew a con when he saw one. He wasn't going to be forced to play the dupe for this girl, and he wasn't going to let it happen to Melissa or Fenris. "The guard will come, and they're bringing campus security. I suggest you wait for them, explain yourself and make plans to leave Kirkwall."

Melissa turned to him, an eyebrow raised, but didn't argue. He was glad. Fenris cleared his throat.

"Are we sure she is who she claims to be?"

"Aveline checked for us after she barged in our morning earlier this week. She is who she says, if not what," Melissa explained.

"She's at the very least, an accomplice to her ex-husband and his many borderline illegal actions. The authorities in Antiva City would likely be happy to talk more with her," Aveline said as she walked into the room. "Thanks for the directions, Hawke. Felice Valente, we should have a little talk, especially about how you got into a secure campus building and started harassing the students on more than one occasion. The security here has decided to leave you to the city-guard, and we thank them for that."

"Aveline," Melissa said, turning to the door, "you have remarkable timing."

Felice glanced up and winced, and Sebastian got the distinct impression of a trapped rodent, but she didn't try to make her way out. He doubted she had the backbone for it, not with all the people that were in the room. She'd only come to bother Isabela because she hadn't been forceful with her in the initial meeting, but after Melissa had told her to get out, she stayed gone.

"The Kirkwall Guard would like to have a chat with you, serah. This way if you please," Aveline said, motioning towards the door.

"Let me finish my wine," Felice said, then stood up, drank the whole of it in one gulp, coughed and sputtered some, but got herself together. Her eyes were streaming still as she went with Aveline, but there was resignation in them. She was reaching the end of her rope, Sebastian realized. She would have done something extremely stupid or dangerous very soon.

"Are you all right?" Melissa asked, turning to Fenris. He waved a hand at her, dismissively, and grinned.

"I always thought it would be a jealous lover of Isabela's that showed up, not an ex-wife."

"Well, she does like to keep things interesting. I'll call her and tell her about all this," Melissa told him.

"I texted her when Felice showed up, but got no answer. She'll call when she can," Fenris answered, unconcerned. He looked over at Sebastian and gave him a smile, "You two aren't dressed like you were going out. I'm sorry to have disturbed you."

"It's fine, Fenris," Melissa said, although she looked sheepishly down at her dirty jeans. "I guess I should do laundry."

"Are you fine here?" Sebastian asked, changing the subject. He was dressed as he usually was when he was going to class, so if Fenris meant anything by the comment, it was probably to do with his unshaven face and messy hair. There was nothing Sebastian was inclined to do about either before tomorrow morning.

"I'm not staying here. Not that our visitor drove me out, but I was heading to the Hanged Man before she knocked on the door. I don't even know how she got into the building."

"We can drop you off, if you'd like," Melissa offered with a smile.

"Thanks, I'd appreciate it," Fenris said, and then went to put on shoes and a coat. He disappeared for a few minutes, and Sebastian took the time to study Melissa.

She still seemed upset, fidgeting and quiet. If Aveline had allowed it, Melissa surely would have gone with her to learn more from Felice, but he was glad she hadn't. All of him still wanted his quiet day with her, even if it was almost over.

"You ready?" Sebastian asked as Fenris pulled on a hat over his white hair. He nodded, and after he locked his door, they left. No one spoke any more about Felice that night.


	7. Wednesday

Wednesday

There was a knock that sounded more like someone drumming a beat to a song she almost could recognize on her door. Something about that song made her smile, even if it was earlier than she wanted to greet the day. Melissa got up, shaking off a sleep that hadn't been very fulfilling anyhow. Sebastian was still curled on the bed, blankets thrown down to his waist in an attempt to keep cool. He always overheated when he slept and she gave him a small smile before turning towards the living room.

The drumming didn't let up as she pulled on her robe and went to answer the door. Though she was half expecting Felice, Melissa lit up when she opened the door.

"Zevran!"

"It's good to see you, Hawke. I know it's too early, but I come bearing the most delicious breakfast pastries. And I hear you had a run in with a certain fake widow," he said, smiling at her as she opened the door.

"Come in, come in. So you're here about Felice? No, wait, let me get dressed and wake Sebastian up. Have a seat," she said, waving him in.

"I'll make coffee while you do that. Who is Sebastian? Isabela didn't mention another roommate."

"Sebastian is my boyfriend, and he's still asleep in the other room. I want you to meet him, he's very pretty, you'll love him" she replied and locked the door after Zevran stepped through it. He was, as always, dressed immaculately, and Melissa smiled as he took off a dark navy wool coat to reveal a light tan day suit underneath.

"Now I'm definitely underdressed. Give me a moment," she said and then threw over her shoulder, "do you still know where the coffee is?"

"I can find it," he called back, chuckling at her.

Sebastian was awake when she went back into her bedroom, and sitting upright in bed, still shirtless. "Who's here?" he asked. His hair was rumpled and messy and his beard was overwhelming his jaw, but she always liked the way he looked in the mornings before he shaved. It made him seem younger in a way she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Zevran. He's a friend. He's here about Felice," she explained as she rummaged through her drawers to find a clean shirt. She picked one that said Tech on it in block letters and went to put on jeans. Sebastian watched her as she dressed, but he looked more dazed than intent. "Are you up or do you want to go back to bed?"

"I'm up," he said blearily, rubbing at his eyes as he did. "He knows Felice?"

"I didn't ask. He said he was here about her. Isabela might have asked him to come by, but I'm not sure how he's related to matters with Felice."

"Toss me a shirt, love," he said and yawned. Melissa dropped a shirt on the bed near him, finished dressing and went off to brush her teeth.

When she got into the kitchen, Zevran had done more than make coffee. His pastries were warming in the oven, the scent of warm, sweet bread just starting to fill the air.

"Putting them in the microwave would have been a crime," he said when she peered into the tiny window to look at them.

"It would have, but I wouldn't have minded. Did you get any coffee?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Should be ready now. Let me take out the pastry in about thirty seconds and we can sit down with everything. It's already done, I just wanted to warm them. It's getting colder out, and unfortunately I didn't have a chance to come straight here."

"You've already been places this morning?" she asked, and felt Sebastian come into the kitchen behind her. He wasn't an especially heavy walker, but Melissa was attuned to his presence.

"Yes, the wonders of Kirkwall will have to wait for another visit. Hold on now," Zevran said and took the pastry sheet from the oven. He did it just the right moment, everything was lightly browned and warm, but there was no runny fruit filling or burned spots.

"If only more morning guests brought breakfast," Sebastian said chuckling. "I'm Sebastian," he said, holding out a hand to Zevran, who shook it.

"Zevran Arainai. Our good friend Isabela enlisted me to find a way to solve your pest problem with Felice," Zevran answered. "And I think I have."

"Oh?" Melissa asked, as she moved away from the overcrowded part of the kitchen to kettle to make herself some tea. "What's going on?"

As she and Sebastian started to settle in for breakfast, Zevran took the coffee she poured him and plated the pastry as he began to speak. He leaned up against the counter as she and Sebastian sat down at the table. Sebastian still was unshaven and had the haggard yet determinedly awake look of someone about to go to an 8am class, and Melissa couldn't help but smile over at him as they started to eat and listen to Zevran.

"Felice's family is part of an extremely successful group of merchants, which is probably how she met Luis," Zev explained. "But do not think them respectable, that would be a mistake. You don't have cream for this do you?" he asked, holding out his coffee cup.

"Of course," Melissa said, but Sebastian opened the fridge since he was closest to it. Leaning back in his chair, he reached inside and pulled out the cream, offering it to Zevran. Zevran came to sit down at the table to add it to his coffee.

"That's better. It takes cream well, this coffee. Anyway, it wouldn't be going too far to say that Felice and Luis were a couple made in the Void, so far as I could find out." He turned to Sebastian and gave him a small smile. "I know your brother, the Crown Prince. I almost didn't recognize you, Your Highness."

"There's no need to be formal when you're talking to me in my pajamas," Sebastian chuckled. "How do you know Graham?"

"I worked for him, briefly," Zevran said, not bothering to elaborate more.

"That was probably the best way to work for him. Anyway, you were saying about our friend Felice," Sebastian said, obviously eager to drop the subject of his brother and what kind of work Zevran may have done.

"Ah yes, Felice." Zevran frowned as he said her name but when she looked back up at him, he seemed lost in thought. "There are many people interested in finding her right now. I think that's why she decided it was a good time to try sneak up on Isabela. But she obviously didn't get all the facts straight about her before she came. Felice owes a lot of money, probably more than she knows about since Luis borrowed from creditors in her name as well as his own."

"But they were divorced," Melissa pointed out, and Zevran nodded.

"Which is fortunate for her. Luis had substantial debts of his own. That is where most of his estate went. The money our Isabela inherited was in his retirement account. I don't think Felice is really here for that. I think she thought Isabela might know where Luis hid his money from her. There is much speculation that he had a hidden account, at least one, with cash in it. A great deal of cash."

"That makes sense," Sebastian said. "The Bank of Starkhaven has somewhat lax rules, making it a tax haven for many people from both Orlais and Antiva. If she thought Isabela knew something, her next stop would likely be Starkhaven."

"Exactly, which is why you won't be surprised that I found a ticket to Starkhaven in her things this morning when I checked her hotel room. She was planning to leave soon, until she couldn't get the information she needed. Isabela leaving town to avoid her must have thrown her off her plans, as did her untimely run-in with the Kirkwall guard."

"So what do we do about it?" Melissa asked, eating the last bite of a buttery, warm croissant. "I mean, can we make Felice leave?"

"You shouldn't have to. I am going to follow and make sure she goes on to Starkhaven when she's released from the custody of the guard, where she spent the night, but there are quite a few people interested to make sure she gets back to Antiva."

"These aren't bad people are they?" Melissa asked, feeling a little worried for Felice. Sebastian made a soft, comforting noise and rubbed his leg up against hers under the table. She knew he didn't care in the least about Felice, he thought her an opportunist and scam artist, but didn't want Melissa worrying about her.

"Most of them are family. They aren't pleased to hear she went south to search for Isabela. No one likes to hear that their daughter is somewhere making them look like beggars. Her brothers especially are a proud bunch, and they want her to come home," Zevran said.

"Are her brothers going to take her home?" she asked.

"Probably. I will call and let them know she's on the move again. If she hadn't earned the attention of the guard, I would have simply called them here to get her. Now, I know she's going to flee and I have to make sure I know where she's going before I set her family chasing after her."

"Sorry about that," Sebastian said. "She was harassing our friend down at Tech last night."

"Don't be sorry," Zevran said waving a hand. "Just pass the last croissant. I'll have to get going soon, but I did want to stop in."

"I'm sorry Bela isn't here," Melissa said. "She'll be upset she missed you."

"I'll run into her again. Sooner rather than later probably. I'm glad I could be of help with Felice. It's her Satinalia present, so she doesn't owe me," Zevran said with a laugh. He took a huge bite of his pastry and sighed. "It's such a shame that the best Orlesian baker I know lives here. I never get down to Kirkwall that often."

#

After Zevran left, Sebastian wanted to check on his building. It was strange to say that, knowing that he did actually own a building, but it was his. There was no one working there today, the construction crews and rebuilding were halted for the holiday. Kirkwall was slowed to a crawl as most people were off of work, storefronts open for holiday hours and some dim and closed already for Satinalia. As they went further into town, they saw lots of displays and lights, and despite the few stores and restaurants open, lots of people walking and going down to the last days of the holiday market. The bakery Zevran had brought their breakfast from was especially busy now, but he almost wanted to stop and pick up some more treats.

"When was the last time you came down here?" Melissa asked as he drove them down to the Grasslands.

"Probably about two weeks ago now. I've been trying to come every week, but when I can't, the foreman calls and sends emails."

"Is it done?"

"Not even close. It just got started. The first floor with the retail spaces will be done in about two more months, so three total, barring any interruptions in work. The second is the apartment space. I wanted your help with that," he said.

"My help?" She laughed softly and added, "I don't know what I could even do. It seems like it's under control."

"You were invaluable when I wanted to fix up the Presidential suite at KSE. I thought you'd like a say in this place."

"We've never talked about how big it's going to be, but it has to be big, right? There's two stores underneath it," she said.

"It is spacious, yes. Better than any of the places nearby. I needed room for the security team," he explained.

"Wait, I know you mentioned this, but tell me why you need enough security that they need their own apartment."

"Because it's easier to give them an apartment and let them work with me than what they're doing now," he said. They were stopped at a red light and he turned to her. "They're always there, Liss, but when I'm out of Tech, there will be journalists. People poking into my life, taking photos with long lenses, trying to find out what I had for dinner. I'm not important, but I was good at making a spectacle of myself before, and they'll want to see that again."

"What does this mean for us?" she asked. "I know you were trying to talk about it before, but tell me plainly now."

"You'll need to be more careful too. You aren't my wife or fiancé, so you can't have your own security since that would put Starkhaven in the position of paying for you when you aren't actually part of the family, but my people will likely watch out for you as well," he said as the light turned green. Sebastian rounded a corner, trying to think of how best to phrase things. Melissa could be skittish, and this was a big change. "But they never get in the way. That's not their job. They just want us to be safe. I tell them where we're going before we go there, and they do as much as they can without being a nuisance."

"Tell me more about the apartment. Do you know the layout?" she asked, shifting the subject back to one that was easier for the both of them.

"I do. I have the plans at the house, but I can show you what the architect and I came up with while we're there. Walk you through it. I was going to hire an interior designer, you know," he admitted, smiling at her, "but I wanted you to see it first."

"I'm amazed you had time to do this during the semester. It's kinda amazing. I'm excited to finally see this place," she said, smiling cheerily at him as they pulled into the parking lot.

"It's funny," he said as he opened the door for her and Melissa stepped into the sunny afternoon. "I had the hardest time with the parking. I wanted covered parking underneath the building, but that wasn't viable. Too close to the sea. So then I thought to have a garage in the back, but that would have cut into customer parking."

"What's going to happen?" Melissa asked as he searched for the keys to let them in.

"Private drive to a garage structure. I'll go through an alley on the opposite side of the way we came and there will be a garage space there. I had to buy that too, but there's six spaces, plenty of room for visitors to park without needing to take up space in the customer lot."

With a somewhat sardonic smile she said, "It's amazing to me that you just offhandedly mentioned buying a garage to go with your building."

"I like to keep surprising you," he replied, giving her a smirk.

He let them both in and Melissa blinked in the dimness of the room. Sebastian took out a flashlight and looked around. It wasn't in the demo stage like it had been last time he visited, and for that he was grateful. This visit wouldn't be nearly as impressive if they had to step through rubble. "Looks like they're prepping for the ventilation systems and plumbing. Then comes electrical and fire systems, then we get walls and floors."

"You're excited," Melissa said, smiling at him.

"I am. Aren't you? It's going to be amazing. Look up," he said, pointing with a finger and then the light. They both craned their necks, looking up at the new, high roof that had been put in place. "That's the apartment, Liss. Five bedrooms. There's no floor up there now, so it looks less impressive than it will be, but I wanted you to see it."

"What will you do with five bedrooms?" she asked, looping her arm through his, curling into his side. Sebastian let the other hand, the one holding up the light come back down to illuminate their more immediate area. "What are your plans for this place?"

"The guard apartment has three bedrooms, just in case you think I'm being extravagant. I probably am, but I wanted space. After living in the house, I feel like I need it." He leaned down to kiss her, taking his time. Her lips were a little cold in the building, there was no heat or anything installed yet, it was a shell still, so he personally was responsible for Melissa's warmth. Sebastian slid his tongue into her mouth when her lips parted, pulling her deeper into his embrace. When they broke apart, she put a hand on his chest and pivoted on her foot, leaning away so she could look around again.

"It's huge. This is going to be incredible." She stopped talking and glanced askance at him with a strangely annoyed look on her face. "Sebastian, are you really going to make me ask?"

He grinned down at her, waiting until she turned back to face him. There was a lightness in his chest that hadn't been there before as he smiled at her. "I wasn't going to pressure you, Lissa. You never seemed like you wanted to live with me."

"Well, I changed my mind." She gave him an impish grin as she said it, but her face grew serious in the next instant. "You know, I've been thinking about it a lot, living with you. And the future, our future together. You were right, before. I should plan it, not just hope for the best and react to the worst. It's just," she shrugged, but slid her hand down to intertwine her fingers with his, "difficult seems like such an inadequate word. My family still isn't in the best place, but we're getting there, and maybe that looks like me letting go a little. I wanted you to know that I took what you said to heart. I've been trying to prepare, and plan."

"Liss," he started, but he quieted at her look.

"I mean you were right. I'm scared. But I love you, and like you I'm holding on with both hands, trying to keep everything I love from falling apart anyway. If this is where you are next year, I don't want to be anywhere else," Melissa told him.

"Truly?" he asked, and she nodded. He took both of her hands in his and kissed them. "I'm so glad. I wanted to ask, but I felt like asking might make you too upset with me. I didn't want to push."

"I want this, I want to live here with you so we don't have to go back and forth like we do now. As much as I love giving up one of my dresser drawers so you can have a place for your stuff, it would make me happier if we just lived together all the time. Maker, it's freezing in here. We should get back to the car. And ooh, we can stop by the bookstore and get decor magazines if we have a house to decorate. Oh and Bethany might have some ideas. This is going to be fun," she said, doing a small hop in place. He wasn't sure if it was out of excitement or the need to keep her blood flowing, but the sight of it made his grin even wider. Sebastian felt like he could have walked on air out of that building.

He gave her one more kiss before they left, just for good measure.

#

The evening was the quiet one they'd tried to have the night before. Zevran texted her after they'd come back from lunch, telling her that Felice had been released by the guards and was, as predicted making her way to Starkhaven. With an apology for his hasty visit, he promised to come see her again when Isabela was back and he had more time. Melissa wished him well, and sent a thanks text to Aveline that she knew would likely go unanswered.

It was just her, Sebastian, a dinner in and a lot of questions about their apartment. Their apartment! They were sitting together at the table, her feet resting on his lap as they ate and went through decor magazines. Actually, it was just her paging through them, Sebastian had pulled up the plans for the apartment on his computer and got lost in them as they ate dinner.

"Do you want to go to bed early?" she asked without turning away from her magazine.

"What? I'm not particularly inclined to, no. I know you said you'd move in with me, but we aren't the going to bed early kind of couple yet, I hope."

Melissa laughed sheepishly. It was a little early in the evening but she wasn't falling asleep right that second. "I just meant that since we were unexpectedly out last night, and woken up this morning by Zevran, we could go to bed early tonight, if you were tired."

"I hardly think two drinks with Fenris at the Hanged Man qualifies as a night out."

"We had to deal with Felice before, I think that counts as pain management," she said, earning a chuckle from him.

Despite the thought that they'd just drop Fenris off, they wound up at the Hanged Man as well, telling Varric, Bethany and their friend Merrill about Felice. Melissa wisely left before she was suckered into a hand of Wicked Grace. Melissa had been surprised to find her sister there but Fenris hadn't, so she'd probably been around Varric a lot more lately. She was never sure what was usual for the two of them, and didn't ask.

"What do you think of tile?" she asked excitedly. She was going through a magazine with Talavera tiles in it, which appealed to her colorful side, but she wasn't sure how to make them work in the whole scheme of the apartment she was building in her head. She liked space, and wood, maybe glass tile? She wasn't really sure because decorating was something that happened by accident, and pieces matched only by happenstance. Every place she'd lived was decorated as necessity dictated. Heavy curtains were purchased or more likely made when it was cold and they needed to keep heat in, and her family home in Ferelden had been carpeted when they could no longer keep up the wood floors.

Decor was for other people, and now that she was faced with it, Melissa found all the possibilities overwhelming. Exciting too, but it was a daunting prospect to have so much space to work with.

"It covers floors and walls," he answered distractedly, not looking up at her. Melissa threw him a look that he missed and sighed. He finally turned away from his computer and gave her his attention, an apologetic note in his voice when he said, "Show me what you're thinking of."

"Here, look at this and I'll get your gift," she said.

"Are we doing gifts already?" he called after her.

Melissa turned and shouted back at him, "This is relevant, kind of. I can grab both gifts," she offered but heard him get up from his chair anyway.

"Normally, I wouldn't mind you going through my bag, but they're in order," he said. She was sure it was something more that he didn't want her to see, but she let it pass in favor of the surprise.

"Right, I forgot, you color coded them." Melissa turned away from Sebastian to dig under her bed, where she'd hidden this gift. There was likely no need to hide them, as far as she knew only Isabela couldn't be trusted to wait for a gift, but she liked the ritual of it. Sebastian seemed amused as she carefully scooted the gift from under the bed and got up with her fully wrapped gift.

"I don't peak," he said, and suddenly she was glad she'd hidden them.

"I honestly don't believe that," she answered, and he grinned at her.

"This is for you," he said, holding out something that looked suspiciously like a ring box.

She took it and said nothing, but pulled the forest green ribbon from around it. It was a ring, but it wasn't the kind she'd been expecting. Not that she wanted an engagement ring, Maker no, it was that she wouldn't have put it past him to give her one and say it was just a ring. But this couldn't have been an engagement ring, because though it was a ring, it was meant to span four fingers. It was a solid bar of gold with diamonds through the middle, and it was the single most stylish piece of jewelry she'd even owned.

And it looked like Sebastian; there was something undeniably him about it, and she liked that he had obviously picked this out. While it wasn't as prettily sentimental as a charm bracelet or as everyday as grey pearl studs, she knew she'd get plenty of wear out of this piece too. Going out at night always called for dressing up and being impressive. Melissa stared at it shining in the light a little more and let her mind wander towards a life where she and Sebastian went out and did more than just study together and had dinner with a movie. Those things were nice and all of that, but for once, Melissa wanted more.

"This is so awesome, thank you," she said, getting up to hug him while wearing her new ring.

"I was afraid you might not like it," he admitted, but she shook her head.

"It's pretty badass, actually. I feel like I need a pair of leather pants to go with it."

He laughed but gave her an approving look as he said, "I'd like to see that," as he started to unwrap his own gift. The paper parted easily over the rectangular object, and it took him no time at all to get rid of it.

Sebastian loved music, and listened to it all the time, so a framed concert photo was an easy gift to get him. He had the unfortunate habit of liking romantic ballads, and the photos of crooners weren't as dynamic as those of more vibrant rock stars, but the black and white print was beautiful in its gold frame. The singer, dressed in a long gown, was standing in front of her band, and caught mid-note with her eyes closed, one hand raised and the other passionately clutching the microphone. It was a striking picture. She'd thought he could hang it in the apartment long before she'd known he was going to build his own.

"Lissa, you've got a gift for gifts," he said and chuckled at his own joke. The sound of his laughter made her whole being warm, and it was obvious that he liked the gift. "No really, this is fucking fantastic. I should put this in my study." Sebastian leaned over and kissed her cheek in thanks.

"Oh we're planning a study, are we?" she asked, grinning at him.

"We're planning a lot of things for the apartment. We should get back to that so we're in agreement," Sebastian said, and pulled her close to him. "I'm so glad you're moving in with me. It's made me a happy, happy man."

"I'm happy too," she said, and realized it was true. She was happy.


	8. Thursday

When Sebastian got up that morning, it almost felt routine. Though it was strange that waking up in a bed that wasn't his felt comfortable, he knew it was because of Lissa. He just liked being in her space, next to her. When he woke up, Melissa was already awake and he could hear her in the other room, and he was going to find her after he'd taken care of the necessary that morning. At least, he would have gone to find her, if his phone hadn't rang with a number from Starkhaven.

"Hello?" he answered, his voice still gruff with sleep and the uncertainty of picking up a number he'd never seen before.

"Good morning, Your Highness. I have His Highness the Crown Prince Graham of Starkhaven on the line for you," an efficient feminine voice said in his ear. He looked at the clock and realized it was fairly early for him, but Graham would have been at the bank and working for hours, even before a holiday.

"Oh Graham's calling me back? I'll wait, thank you," Sebastian said, sitting back down on the bed heavily. It had been a while since an assistant called for him. Usually his father called to yell on his own and his mom emailed. After his impromptu visit from Rion, Sebastian had emailed Graham, just to talk. There was still so much that weighed heavily on his mind about the things Rion said, but Sebastian needed more information.

He didn't have to wait long for his brother to pick up. "Sebastian, I got your note. I was surprised to hear from you. I hope all is well." Graham still sounded the same, his voice a mix between the heavy Starkhaven brogue and the Orlesian that crept into his accent from time to time. His wife was Orlesian, so that only reinforced the mixing of the two accents.

But Graham wasn't like Rion, who was warmer and more affable than either of his two brothers. Graham was fifteen when Sebastian was born, and had been a mix of overbearing brother and father figure to him. He was sharp, his wit cutting, and was not only very intelligent, but had a good memory. As Sebastian thought on it, Graham might like Melissa a great deal, they had more than a few traits in common. Maybe it was from being the oldest child in the family, but he was only guessing at that. His eldest brother used to intimidate Sebastian as a child, and now, well, he still sort of did.

"School is fine," Sebastian answered, sidestepping the question, but following it up with a courtesy of his own. "How are you?" he asked, and Graham laughed.

"Busy, as always. I wanted to talk about the questions you had. First off, no we weren't told until much later that they'd sent you away, we thought you'd just transferred schools, then we heard you'd gone to the Chantry. Rion was right about that, but I did know you were at Tech after some time. Maker, the years get away from me in this place. I have always meant to call and see how you are."

"Have you seen Rion since he visited?" Sebastian asked.

"No," Graham said on a heavy sigh and added, "he hasn't come back to the office and I haven't called. I should. Things are strained here. You should come home."

"Even if I wasn't about to take finals, you know I can't," Sebastian answered, frowning at the phone as he did. He walked over to the window and opened the blinds, pulling them up completely so he could see the dead grass and plants in the courtyard. Sunlight flooded into Lissa's boxy room and warmed the bare skin of his back as he leaned onto the sill.

"You can't or won't?" Graham asked, sounding annoyed. "Whatever the problem is with Father, I'm sure you can come home if you really wanted to."

"He threatened to take my passport away at the border. He IS the government in Starkhaven. Do you understand what that means? I wouldn't be able to go home and I wouldn't be able to make a life here. I'm graduating, I need to sit my certification exam and get a job," Sebastian said, anger making his voice strained as he tried to contain his temper.

Graham made a scoffing noise over the phone. "We hardly need work, Sebastian," he began, but Sebastian cut him off.

"I _want_ to work. I'm an engineer and a damn good one. If I don't work, I don't get a professional licensure, and I can't be hired in my field. I won't ask my girlfriend to go out everyday while I sit around living off the interest of some investment I don't understand or care about just because you don't take Father's threats seriously. I do. I know what he's capable of because I've been on the receiving end of it for the past few years."

"You have some girl there? Now I know why you won't leave. Just tell the truth for once Sebastian--"

"--Do NOT pretend you know me, Graham. You've never paid any real attention to me unless I fucked up. Melissa has nothing to do with me not jumping on your vague suggestion to come home. I _cannot_. If you can't understand that, take it up with Father. He's the one that promised me if I so much as looked in the direction of Starkhaven, he would see to it that he took away all my options. I've kept my head down, done well in school, met a woman, and fell in love here in Kirkwall. Going home just because you say so and haven't given me a reason isn't going to happen. I have finals, I have a _life_ here. I need to graduate. I want to marry Melissa, and none of my future is worth putting on the line for a mere suggestion."

There was silence for so long after he stopped talking, Sebastian had time to even out his breathing, which had started to come in heavy, angry spurts as he spoke. He looked out at the courtyard again, then at the plants in the window of her room. Carver sent her the seeds for the varieties, he remembered how happy she'd been to get the cold-hardy Ferelden seeds. If he hadn't heard Graham typing on his keyboard, Sebastian might have thought his brother had hung up on him. Taking a deep breath in, he could smell the sharp fresh smell of sage and thyme mixed together and faintly, dirt.

"Sebastian, I apologize," Graham said tightly. "I hadn't realized the extent of the circumstances." Sebastian rather thought it was a case of Graham not wanting to understand, but he kept the words to himself. He hadn't sent an email to Graham to provoke a fight, though he should have known that he couldn't prevent one. "I think, however, you should keep your accounts under your control, and not let Cristina manage everything for you."

"I don't have any accounts except the trust fund I got on my birthday, grandfather's legacy and the ones I set up in Kirkwall. Mom shouldn't have any accounts of mine." A very unsettled feeling pooled in the pit of his stomach, and Sebastian felt the bad news before it came.

"You do have accounts here; you always have. There is a substantial one for you to set up a household upon their creation, which you should oversee especially with your graduation so close at hand. There's legacy money that Grandfather Vael left you, and a trust from him, and the trust is completely untouched. There's more than that. Look, let me send you the details by mail, since you clearly don't have them. But Cristina is on almost all of these accounts too, and she's the one that's been getting the updates."

"Take her off of them. I'm of age," Sebastian said immediately, and heard Graham laugh again.

"Yes, I can remove her. Once she finds out, however, that's your problem to deal with."

"Thank you," Sebastian said, some of the dread in his stomach unknotting. "Did Grandfather truly leave me something more than the legacy?" He'd known about his legacy money, that was passed to him immediately, but this was the first he was hearing about a trust as well.

"He did. In fact, you're the only one he named to get more than a few token items. The rest was left to the Chantry. I know you were young, but I thought it had been explained to you," Graham said, and sighed again. "But I guess I shouldn't have assumed. I'll see that you get the information. It's more than just money, Sebastian."

"What is it?" he asked.

"I don't know. I've never looked, I just know that it's there. Give me your address again so I can make sure it's going to the right place."

Sebastian did and there were several minutes of silence between the two of them as Graham typed. He didn't know what to say to fill the minutes, so Sebastian just let them pass. It was his brother that finally broke it again with a question.

"Are you really thinking about getting married?" Graham asked, and the unexpectedness of the question made Sebastian chuckle.

"We are, but that's a conversation for after graduation this spring," he said. That was almost true, he decided, even if it wasn't completely accurate. "But I haven't mentioned it to anyone else, except Melissa, so don't let it slip to Father."

"Rion will love that I found that out before he did. I'll tell him at your wedding, if you do get married. Anyway, I should get going. I'm going to have my assistant send you everything on your accounts, and I'll try to answer your email fully." He drew in a deep breath and said, "I'm proud of how seriously you're taking your studies. I half expected to call you and hear you hungover."

"Yeah well, the day is young," Sebastian said, and both of them laughed. It was a strange feeling, to laugh with Graham. He could't recall them ever doing so together before, or at least, not since he was a child.

"Happy Satinalia, Graham. Tell Helene I said hello."

"Happy Satinalia, Sebastian. Give my greetings to your girlfriend--"

" _Lady_ Melissa," he said, filling in the name for Graham. He could almost hear his brother's eyebrows raise when Sebastian emphasized her title, but Graham didn't ask.

"Yes, my best to the Lady Melissa. Take care of yourself," Graham said, and then hung up.

Sebastian let the phone sit on the sill and went back to absently staring out the window. There were only more questions after that phone call, to be honest, and he was annoyed that he hadn't gotten any real answers. He wanted to know what the hell his mother was doing in Starkhaven, and why everyone seemed to always be working against him. What was his father telling people? What was all this money he supposedly had? He'd never known his grandfather had left him a legacy. Why had no one told him? He had to forcibly turn his thoughts away from his worry, and decided to call his grandparents. Even if his mother was in Starkhaven scheming against his future, he could call his grandparents and wish them a happy holiday.

After he'd left a message for them, the room felt too confining and he went into the apartment to find Melissa. Whatever she was making in the kitchen smelled like dinner, and his stomach rumbled in appreciation before he remembered that it likely was dinner, for the potluck they were attending tonight. Aveline, the guards and the rest of the Keep had an annual potluck for Satinalia, and she'd invited them to come out tonight.

"Who were you yelling at?" Melissa asked, leaning up against the wall just as he was heading towards the direction of breakfast. He hair was piled on top of her head in a messy knot and she was wearing an over-sized button down shirt and socks that came up to her knees. She was unreasonably cute this morning, and he was seized by the urge to kiss her rather than answer her question. He could do both, he decided as he went over to her.

"My brother," he said, and pinning her between him and the wall. He kissed her neck as he clarified, "It was Graham, not Rion, don't worry."

"I was about to say, it would be odd for him to have pissed you off so thoroughly after we just had such a nice lunch with him," she said, her voice a little breathy as he kissed her collarbone. Her hand reached up and ran through his hair and he could feel the faint scoring of her fingernails against his scalp.

"Graham's got his facts twisted and still thinks he's entitled to be my second father. I don't want the first one."

"Sebastian!" His name was an admonishment, ruined by the gasp at the end of it that dissolved into a soft giggle.

He kissed her neck, her throat, her jaw and finally her lips as he unbuttoned her shirt. Not that he needed to, strictly speaking, but he wanted to see her. Even in the dim light of the hallway he could see her nipples hardened into peaks, see the dislodged locks of her hair as her bun grew even messier than it had been before. He gave each of her breasts some attention, kissing and tasting them, teasing out the responses he wanted as her nipples reached diamond hardness. Lissa had such lovely breasts, soft and responsive, sensitive to just about everything. He dragged his teeth gently over her nipple just to hear her hiss as he did, and wasn't disappointed. Sebastian pressed a kiss into the scarred skin under her breast, and another a little further below on her stomach.

Then he dropped to his knees and pushed her left leg over his shoulder. She braced herself with a hand cupping the back of his head as he used a finger to slide her panties to the side. Slowly, he pushed one finger inside of her, taking his time as he eased it first in and out, until it slid easily. Then it was just a matter of finding the right rhythm for his tongue. He knew when he'd found it because she stopped her incessant talking and moaned loudly, a hand going to the wall behind her to keep her upright. Sebastian kept going, only changing when he felt her press the flat of her palm to the back of his head, urging him further on. More, her hands urged him, and he did more, could give her more, so he did until he felt her wobble, then start to shake on her one standing leg.

He could taste her climax before it came on her, feel heat rushing through her whole body before Lissa stilled momentarily and then burst like dam swollen with flood waters. His knees were starting to ache against the wood floor, but that pain was trifling distraction, blown away as she rocked her hips against his face, so close but not quite there yet. Sebastian sucked at her clit as Lissa came hard against his face, the world above him filled with the garbled, gasping sounds of her swearing and calling for the Maker as she lost herself. She came so hard he could feel her clenching around his finger, and he desperately wished it was his cock so that he could share in the quakes and shudders that reverberated through her small frame.

When she finished, he got up and now the pain in his knees made itself known at the forefront of his mind, but Sebastian ignored it again and leaned in to kiss Melissa. She was flushed, and her lips were dry as he pressed his very wet ones up against hers, letting her taste herself on his tongue. A fingernail scratched at his chest, the touch so light it made him shiver, and Lissa pushed his pants past his hips and wrapped a hand around his cock. When she drew it fully out of his pajamas he shivered, both with cold and anticipation, but she only held him in her hand. Even that made him harder, but he'd been semi-erect already, he could never be around her mostly naked and not be aroused.

"I want to watch you," she whispered as she pulled back from his kiss, and Sebastian raised an eyebrow at her. It was a mild surprise to hear her ask, but Melissa was reticent about voicing any fantasies she harbored. Most of the time, she said nothing and Sebastian suspected it was for his benefit, the thought that telling him too much might lead to more. But he wanted more, he should tell her, they should talk about it, but not now, because she was smiling like a cat at him, eyes gleaming in the dim hallway as one hand lazily combed through the hair on his stomach. As if to underscore her point, she took his hand, the one that was still wet from being inside of her, she took it in hers and put it on his cock, leading as if he needed directions. "I've never seen you alone before."

"You don't want to help?" As soon as he asked, he knew she wouldn't, but he didn't mind.

"I want to watch," she repeated, and he shot a grin at her before he responded.

"I live to please," he said, leaning into another kiss and using the hand already on his cock to give it a stroke. She pulled him closer to her, his fist rhythmically thumping against her thigh, his other hand creeping up towards her tits. When he found one, he let his thumb drift across the tip of it, but it wasn't enough. He kneaded at the soft mound, his hands almost as greedy as the mouth that still kissed her sloppily, it was open-mouthed and wet and panting, but he couldn't stop.

He only wanted her, and there was no one else in his mind as his hand increased its tempo. She pulled out of their kiss, but he didn't mind now, he was panting, and Lissa had said she wanted to watch. So he braced himself on his forearm, letting it rest on the wall above her head and kept going. All he could see was her, her face, the soft hair framing it, the striped collar of the open sleepshirt that now hung down unbuttoned on either side of her. Her lips were swollen from his kisses, but she was still smiling at him, inviting and open. Sebastian kept that image of her in his mind as sensation forced him to close his eyes, groaning a little as he felt the increase in heat throughout his body. He expected her to kiss him again, maybe a little help, but she surprised him. Lissa always surprised him.

"Sebastian you're gorgeous like that, you know," she whispered to him then kissed his jaw. "All intense eyes, wet lips and a lock of hair falling across your brow. I might just come again from watching you."

"Could you?" he asked, but his words were rushed, he was getting too far gone to banter back with her.

"I could. You've a lovely cock," she said, smiling as he let out a choking sound that was part laugh, part gasp. Sweat prickled on his back between his shoulder blades, and felt it making his hair stick to his forehead. Melissa kissed him again, but it was more of a bite than a kiss, nipping gently at the his shadowed jaw.

"You haven't had the pleasure," he said, but she was about to feel the end product, right on her hip unless she took a step away from him. As much as he liked hearing her talk, he wasn't going to be able to answer anymore, he was so close he could barely remember his own name.

"Not yet, but I can wait. I'd wait forever for you."

That was by far not the dirtiest thing he'd ever heard her say, but it was what did him in that morning. He came hard, up against her hip as he'd predicted, but mostly in the palm of his hand. Sebastian couldn't help the mess he'd made as he pulled her closer into a hard, crushing kiss. Maker, he loved her so much, and right now, it felt like the whole apartment couldn't contain what lay between them.

#

They were going to be late picking up Carver.

Her brother was supposed to come in on the train for the holiday, and she and Sebastian were going to pick him up from the station. It was too cold for him to be walking, though she was sure Carver wouldn't have minded. It was just easier to pick him up.

Or it would have been, if Sebastian hadn't gotten in the shower with her. The rationale was that they'd do it to save time, since he'd gotten up late and then they'd been in the hallway, but Sebastian was slowly kissing her under a steady spray of water, and she knew they'd be late. She knew it and Melissa really couldn't bring herself to care. Carver was a big boy, he'd be fine.

It occurred to her that it was the first time they'd actually managed to shower together, and it probably would have happened earlier that week if Felice hadn't come by that morning. Melissa reveled in it, but it hadn't escaped her notice that Sebastian had likely done this before, though she'd have to ask later. He'd moved behind her and was kissing her neck and shoulders, but he'd subtly angled her away from the water. She was about to ask when she realized, and parted her legs slightly to let him in. He obliged her, first one finger, but she was still wet from before, and another slid in easily as his thumb rested against her clit. She leaned back onto the wall of his chest and sighed softly as Sebastian nipped at her shoulder and his fingers started to work all at once.

No, it definitely wasn't the first time he'd done this, and for that, she was so, so very glad.

She came quickly, easily, because she was ready after watching him in the hallway, and everything about this shower was hitting all her notes. The slowly building steam, the feeling of him behind her, the kisses on her neck and his soft grunts and whispers of her name in her ear. It would have been enough at any time, but after watching him in the hall, all hot skin and sweat and desperate, greedy eyes ready to swallow up the sight of her as he came, it was almost too much.

When they got out of the shower, Melissa needed to blow dry her hair and Sebastian hadn't eaten breakfast. They had about five minutes before Carver's train was scheduled to be at the station. They were definitely going to be late. She could still feel Sebastian biting her shoulder, slowly, deliberately, and then kissing away the bite marks. Maybe Carver would forgive her for making him wait.

They were out of the house ten minutes later, her still damp hair tucked into a neat bun at the base of her neck, and Sebastian handing her a piece of toast on the way out the door. She ate in the car, and knew he felt bad for making them late because he never let them eat in his car. Sebastian hated cleaning up crumbs. She tried to not let them get everywhere for his sake. He'd neglected to shave again that morning and looked like he was growing in his beard. She wasn't sure if she liked it or not, to be honest. They were pulling up to the station when she thought to look at her phone and gave a hard, cynical laugh when she did.

"Sebastian, his train is late. It's a half hour late, and we're running late, so I think we're technically early."

"Excellent. There's a coffee shop here that serves all day breakfast," Sebastian told her as he parked. "I'm starving." It was no surprise that both of them were hungry, but she knew if they hadn't gotten out of the apartment it was more likely they'd been sleeping it off rather than having breakfast right now.

"But we didn't need to rush," she said petulantly. Now that Carver was in no danger of having to wait for them, she was a little upset with herself. Sebastian cut the car's engine and gave her hand a squeeze.

"We didn't, but it warms me to no end to know you aren't wearing any underwear because we were rushing and you neglected to do laundry this week."

"Stop making me laugh," she said, but it was no use, she was cheered out of her annoyance and she got out of the car.

"What were you making this morning?" he asked as he caught up to her, both of them rushing towards the train station and out of the cold.

"The food for the potluck. Meatballs in gravy. It's in the slow cooker so it can stay warm until tonight."

"It smelled delicious. Did you make any extra for lunch?" he asked.

"I didn't have time, I was accosted in my hallway," Melissa retorted, laughing. "But I can always make more."

Sebastian opened the door for her and she went in, her eyes automatically going to the incoming arrivals board. Carver's train was due in five minutes, so they split up, Sebastian to get some breakfast and she to wait near the platform. The train came before Sebastian caught up to her, and it was packed with holiday travelers. Carver stood a head above anyone else, and Melissa waved at him from the pillar she was standing near. He was just as she remembered him, and still different. Every time she saw her brother it was like he'd changed in another subtle yet important way. His shoulders were squared and confident even as he hoisted his bag and slung it over one, striding away from the train.

"Carver!" she called, and saw his shaved head swivel, but he hadn't seen her, just heard her calling for him. Sebastian found her first, and he waved her brother over, then handed her a muffin and a cup of tea. Carver reached them, parting the crowd easily, a large bag with the Grey Warden sigil that looked overfull for someone only spending a few days away.

"Lissy. Vael. Good to see you," he said as Melissa gave him a one-armed hug. It was like falling into the embrace of a brick wall; he was more muscle than Sebastian's familiar frame. Carver was solidly built and taller than Sebastian, but far more massive. He squeezed her with his free arm and nearly took her breath away, until he let her go. Despite his cool greeting, when Melissa looked up at her brother, Carver was grinning down at her.

"Carver," Sebastian said, nodding at him, but she could hear the smile hiding in his greeting. Despite Carver's general dislike of everyone she'd ever dated, she felt like he and Sebastian had a sort of understanding, or at least, a truce.

"Thanks for picking me up. It's good to see Kirkwall's still a run-down shithole. This train station is the worst one I've been in, and I've been over half of Thedas and back again. Starkhaven's pretty plush though," he added, nodding at Sebastian.

"How was your trip? Are you hungry?" Melissa asked, taking a large bite of her muffin.

"You're as bad as Mother," he said, shaking his head, but smiled at her. It reminded her of when he was a little boy, it was so impish and cheeky. She almost missed Ferelden at that moment, just looking at Carver. "I'm fine. There was breakfast. The trip wasn't too long, I was just coming from Cumberland."

They headed slowly back out towards the parking lot, following the meandering crowd of people departing the train. It was more than she'd expected, but the holidays always had people traveling up until the last minute. "Did Bethany tell you about the party at the Keep tonight? Aveline's invited all of us. If you're up to it," Melissa said.

"Yeah, we'll see, Lissy. Shit, it's good to be walking again. Those seats are so small," Carver said and Melissa winced at the crack his back made as he twisted to each side and back again. "That's better."

"You can sit in the front," Melissa offered, knowing that Carver was much too tall for the backseat of Sebastian's car. Sebastian was tall himself, but Carver had a good three inches on him, and would be ridiculously cramped in the backseat.

"Appreciate it. Aren't you going to ask me what I got you?" he asked, teasing her. She never asked, but each year he tried to get her to guess. Sometimes he almost succeeded in baiting her, but she'd learned his tricks. He put his bag, which was much larger than she realized, into the trunk of the car and she followed behind Sebastian to get into the back on his side.

Melissa shook her head at Carver across the car. "Nope. Get in the car."

"Bossy. Vael, do you let her talk to you this way?"

"Melissa does what she wants, it's not my place to change her behavior," Sebastian answered, making Melissa smile at him and Carver scowl.

"Bloody kiss-arse, you are. Your car makes up for it though. And I suppose you make my sister happy, because if you don't, well, I've got a lot of Wardens I can call on. Right, let's get going so Mother can fawn over me and Bethany can yell at me."

"It's good to be home, isn't it?" Melissa asked, but Carver only laughed. It was a surprisingly soft sound, especially after his last comment.

"This isn't home, but it's good to see you again, and everyone. Even him," he said, sticking a thumb out at Sebastian.

 _They must be friends_ , she realized, as Sebastian pulled out of the parking space. Another thing she'd have to ask Sebastian about later.

#

For about the eighth time in this conversation, Sebastian glanced across the room at Melissa and shot a grin at her. They'd been doing this all night, flirting from a distance. Normally, he'd just put an end to it after a while, go over to her and kiss her, talk about taking her home, but that wouldn't be the right move tonight. When they'd arrived at the Keep for the potluck Aveline invited them to, Melissa had insisted they all split up. Carver and Bethany were with them and the four of them went in separate directions at the party, determined not to stay in one clump.

Melissa was currently propping up a pillar as she listed to Saemus Dumar ranting about something. Sebastian could tell he was in full rant mode because his hands would not stop flapping around and he was pacing. She was bearing it well, but Sebastian knew boredom when he saw it glazed over with a veneer of a polite smile. He glanced back at her once more, thinking about her and how much he just liked her. He absolutely just liked Melissa, and probably would have even if he wasn't in love with her, but then she would have been Hawke the brilliant mathematics major, like she was to just about everyone else at Tech.

While it wasn't strange to like the person you were currently in love with, it was a new feeling for Sebastian. He liked Melissa's laugh, even as he heard it from across the room. It made him turn his head again, catching the tail end of her mirth and smile. She was so beautiful when she smiled, and tonight she was wearing the prettiest cobalt blue sweater and a pair of jeans that clung to the sweet curve of her ass, making him glad he had a chance to stare from across the room. He didn't spend enough time just looking at her anymore because he saw her all the time, so this was a strangely rare treat. After this morning, pretty much all of his thoughts were for her. If only they'd had more time, all day to lay in bed together, he would have told her how he felt, that he was ready for more. But he hadn't because they'd been rushing, and the conversation had been halted. That afternoon they ran errands and picked up last minute groceries for Leandra before going back to the apartment to get ready for the party.

But there were things he needed to say, and a conversation that he was more than ready to have. He loved her in a way he hadn't known was possible before, and truly, that's what he'd been hoping for in the beginning. Everything about dating her had been so unknown, he thought that making rules and setting clear lines was going to make it easier. No sex until love seemed like a no-brainer, but thinking about it now, how quickly he'd fallen in love and how unsure he'd been even after that, it took more than just love for it to be right. Trust was more than just love and time twined together, but he hadn't known that before. Sebastian realized he was still looking at her, staring really, watching as she tossed her hair over her shoulder and straightened up to give Saemus a weak smile. Sebastian normally wanted all her smiles for himself, but he didn't begrudge Saemus the one. He turned away from Melissa to check the rest of the room, finding Bethany's curly hair near to where Melissa was talking with Saemus.

Bethany, with her Amell Foundation ever in her mind, sought out power players. She'd started working her way around the room, greeting the numerous guards and city magistrates and officials that had shown up. At the moment she was in a conversation with the seneschal and something about their too casual demeanor worried Sebastian. Bran wasn't casual, and more likely than not he was either humoring Bethany or propositioning her. Probably the latter, but he hoped for the former.

Her twin had fared better. Carver was in the middle of a group of guards that included Aveline, miming something that must have to do with a sword. He kept correcting his stance and then swung his arms out to a great cheer by the guards. Whatever story he was telling had to be a good one. At ease in the group, Carver was taking questions and earning laughs easily, and it made Sebastian smile to see it. While he was looking at Carver, he felt Melissa's gaze again and turned to wink at her. She grinned back at him as Saemus kept talking at her.

"If you two keep doing that, she might think you like her." Sebastian's smile faded as he turned back to his own conversation. Varric had cornered him and for some reason, wouldn't let him go yet.

"I love her, Varric," Sebastian replied softly looking down at him with a frown. Varric didn't even notice the frown as he gave a surprised sounding snort in response.

"You've changed, Choir Boy."

Sebastian shrugged, but wondered what Varric thought he'd changed from. It wasn't as if he'd known him before. All he said however was, "We all have to grow up sometime."

"You helping with the Amell Foundation?" Varric asked, earning another shrug from Sebastian. He tried to keep this annoyance out of the movement, to remain unruffled by Varric but he wasn't sure he pulled it off.

"They haven't asked, and it's their foundation. Melissa just decided to take it on, but I have no greater experience in it than her." He was tired of being questioned and lectured by Varric, so he took the chance to ask a question while he could. "Lissa and I aren't the only ones going to graduate in the spring. How's the dissertation?"

That question earned him a satisfyingly annoyed grunt from Varric. Sebastian wasn't quite sure why Varric disliked him so much, and frankly, he didn't care, but it was a little fun to tweak Varric whenever he could now. He'd tried being honest and earnest, tried showing him by his actions that he wasn't the man he thought he was, but Varric continued to treat him the same way. It wasn't for Sebastian to change Varric's mind, so he just treated him as if he were an aggravating older brother, and Sebastian had plenty of experiences with those.

"It's fine. I mean if falling apart at the very core idea is fine, but you know, going well. I think I might have to rewrite three months worth of work, and you aren't listening at all, are you?" Varric asked.

Melissa had just shot him a desperate look, and Sebastian had responded with a quick nod. "Not at all, Varric. It's been real," he said and departed. Behind him, he heard Varric's annoyed laugh as Sebastian went straight to Melissa.

"And so I told Father that enough was enough," Saemus said. "But of course, he didn't agree with me."

"Saemus, forgive me. I'm sorry to cut in, but I need to speak with Lady Melissa," Sebastian said as he came up to the two of them. The relief on Melissa's face was borderline unseemly, and he'd have to teach her to master that eventually. Right now from what he'd heard of Saemus, it was more than appropriate.

"Your Highness," Saemus said and gave him a half bow. Sebastian shook his head at him with a small smile.

"There's no need for formality tonight, Sebastian will do. But please excuse us," he said and gave him a nod. Saemus nodded back at them and Melissa added a goodbye as Sebastian hustled her out of the way everyone else.

They were still in the canteen of the Keep, the large, brightly lit room where the guard and staff took their meals, but he managed to find a suitably private corner for them to linger in while Saemus found a new conversation. Melissa put a hand on his chest as she settled herself against the wall, and took a deep breath. He put his hand over the one she had on his chest, warming the cool side of it with his palm.

"Thank you. That was bracing." Melissa smiled up at him, and he watched it widen as he took her hand in his and lifted it to his lips. He pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her hand and held onto it as he answered.

"I can only imagine. Then again, I was talking to Varric, so it was no hardship to get up and rescue you."

Melissa raised an eyebrow at him. "I thought I saw you two were talking. I would ask, but I don't want to know. Are you ready to leave?"

"More than ready, but I doubt Bethany and Carver are."

"I'll talk to them. More than likely, they'll find their own way home if they want to stay." She took a deep breath and looked around the room. The smile that lingered on his face from his courtly kiss faded as she found Bethany, who was still in conversation with the seneschal. "I should go get her right now," Melissa said, with an edge so hard in her voice that it almost sounded brittle.

"What's the matter?" he asked, but he got no response. Melissa slipped her hand from his and was striding towards Bethany, and all he could do was follow.

"I'm sorry to interrupt. Bethany, may I speak with you?" she asked, but it wasn't really an ask, it was a demand. Bethany threw her a look, but when Sebastian caught up to them, he took one look at the gathering group and excused himself.

"I hope you're happy," Bethany grumbled, but Melissa cut her off.

"Don't," Melissa said, warning in her voice.

"I am an _adult_ ," Bethany hissed and Melissa shook her head.

"I know that, _you_ aren't the issue."

"Then why are you acting like this?" Bethany asked, unable to keep a plaintive note from her voice. Sebastian turned away as if he were giving them privacy, but he could hear every whispered word clearly.

"He slept with Mother. _Recently._ Don't."

"Holy Maker, how do you know that? Ew. No, don't tell me. Ugh," Bethany said, disgusted shock on her face.

"I'm sure he would think it sporting to collect the set, but I wouldn't go there if I were you. We're ready to go, unless you want to go back to flirting with the seneschal," Melissa said.

"No, I'd rather go home. This party is kinda awful," Bethany admitted. She still looked fairly disgusted, and Sebastian couldn't really blame her. He had no wish to know about Leandra's private life, and had no idea how Melissa did. She'd kept that secret locked up tight, and as he caught a glimpse of Bethany looked properly abashed at the revelation, he understood why Melissa chose to reveal it.

"Let's get Carver," Melissa said, and then stopped. "You get him. If I do it, he's just as likely to stay just to spite me."

"He's not that bad anymore," Bethany said, but she gave a half-chuckle and started across the canteen to where her brother stood with the guards. Carver's story must have been done, because now someone else was talking and Carver was sitting in a tiny plastic chair, looking tired. At Sebastian's side Melissa leaned wearily against him, and he put an arm around her.

"I hope you aren't too tired for presents," he said, and she perked up.

"Never. I just want to get home and away from these people. I should grab the container I brought the meatballs in. You could go and get the car and we'll meet you out front," she suggested. He nodded and they parted, he towards the front of the Keep and the large double doors that would lead him out and she back towards the long table that once held food and now was full of containers and debris.

Carver caught up to him as he was walking out the door, but said nothing as they went outside together. The night air was cold and held the promise of snow on it. Sebastian took a deep breath, glad to be away from Aveline's potluck. He hadn't even had a chance to say more than a quick hello to her and Donnic during the night, but that didn't matter, there would be another time.

"Nice night," Carver said finally, and Sebastian turned to him with a grin. Carver looked a little worn around the edges, bags under his eyes, but he surprised Sebastian by returning his grin.

"Getting better," he said, and turned towards the car park.


	9. Friday (FeastDay)

Friday

Melissa was sitting at her kitchen table having another cup of tea as she thumbed through a cookbook. Actually the cookbook was just a ruse, she had a notebook in front her, open to a blank page but she’d abandoned it in favor of the cookbook. Cooking seemed easier than trying to think of a plan for the future.

She heard Sebastian when he said she reacted to things and wasn’t proactive, and when she thought about it the last thing she was really proactive about was her education and the internship she did last summer. Melissa didn’t have a plan for after graduation besides getting a job. The future scared her, and even though it was going so well right now didn’t mean it was going to stay that way. What if she couldn’t get a job? Then what? She’d be living with Sebastian full time and feeling like a bargain basement trophy girlfriend, the titled woman living in genteel poverty until a man with more money and status fell in love with her and lifted her up.

 _Ugh_ , it was a bad romance novel in the making, and Melissa didn’t want any part of it. So she had the idea to go on and make a plan, think about the future. Start safeguarding against the worst sorts of things, because they always tended to happen. But when she wanted to think about doing more than saving money and finally going to the dentist, her mind was completely blank. She was good in a crisis, or at making things happen in impossible situations, but somehow she couldn’t sit down and make a plan for her career milestones or her life. She didn’t know what she wanted other than to be okay.

So she was here, looking at cookbooks in her kitchen, trying to distract herself by finding a new recipe to take to her mother’s house this evening for Feastday dinner. The two types of bread she was bringing were beginning their rise under the tea towel, her soup was started and Melissa was at a loss about what comes next in her life. Sebastian had given her brooches. She wasn’t the type of woman that wore brooches, but she somehow wanted to live that life if she could.

He’d been so earnest in giving her that jewelry, wanting to spoil her for no more reason than that he loved her. Sebastian made her want a different future than the one they might stumble upon, but besides moving in with him, getting a job and maybe a pet, she wasn’t sure what that might entail. How did she, a farmer and greengrocer from Ferelden, become the type of woman that chose between the diamonds and the emeralds for a night out? Was it vain to want the life Sebastian was pointedly turning away from, the easy one where his name and family money opened doors and got them into places? She wanted to be the woman who enjoyed her jewels, now that she had some, not that kind that kept them in a vault. The jewelry wasn’t unwelcome, but it did mark a change in her life. Somewhere along the line she’d become the type of woman with jewels and expensive coats, and not all of that was down to Sebastian. She’d let her family dictate the path of her life for far too long, and now that she was trying to do it on her own, Melissa wasn’t sure what course to chart.

Sebastian came in, fully dressed and freshly showered, jolting her out of her thoughts. It was just as well, because Melissa knew she wasn’t going to be able to get to the end of them on her own. Talking them out with him would help, she knew, but she had to get him out of those clothes first.

“You’re up. I didn’t even hear the shower,” she said. Melissa got up and went over to Sebastian for a good morning kiss, swiping her hand through his damp hair. “It’s early, for you.”

“I didn’t know what time we were leaving,” he said.

“After the soup is done, so it’s a while yet. You don’t have to dress up. We’re not formal about this.”

“Leandra won’t mind?”

Melissa shook her head as she smiled; she knew she’d told him this before, but he was nervous. “Nope. She’s going to give you pajamas as a gift. We all get them every year. She likes us to change into them so we can watch movies. You should just put on sweatpants or something.”

Sebastian was grinning back at her, and Maker, his grin was so gorgeous she almost forgot where she lived while she was standing in her own kitchen. There were times when she saw him outside of the lens of her own familiarity and love, and saw how handsome he was anew, as if she’d just met him all over again. The intensity of his blue eyes framed by his long lashes, the wave of his thick hair and the incredibly muscular body made her head spin.

“Are you going to be running around in your pajamas at your mother’s house?” he asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Of course,” Melissa answered. “It’s practically Hawke family tradition.”

“Let me change then, and I’ll get the gifts together. Even if we’ve got time, we might as well get everything ready to go.”

“Don’t be nervous. It’s just Mother and the twins, and it’s nothing special. We’re going to eat until we’re sleepy and then mother will try to pawn off all of her leftovers on us before Carver can demolish them.”

Sebastian shot her that grin again, and Melissa felt herself smiling back at him without thought. He left the kitchen and she went over to turn on the kettle for another cup of tea. When he came back, he was shirtless and wearing his familiar blue Kirkwall Tech sweatpants, carrying an armload of laundry. She heard the beep of the machine and the whoosh of water as it started up, just as she sat back down with her tea.

He reached up to the top of her cupboards to get the coffee out that he kept in her apartment, and Melissa admired the way his back muscles flexed as he made coffee. She closed the notebook where she’d written nothing and turned back to the cookbook, just as Sebastian began to make toast for them both.

She’d talk to him about the future later.

#

Carver opened the door for them, dressed in a the largest set of footie pajamas Sebastian had ever seen. They were dark blue and had a silver griffon lovingly embroidered on the left breast and a shining silver zipper down the front. It was just as Melissa said, and somehow, even better than he’d expected. Carver glared at him, daring him to say something, but Sebastian just shook his head, smiling. Melissa stepped into the doorway and pulled Carver into a hug.

“Felicitations, Carver,” she said as she was enveloped her in little brother’s enormous arms. The bag of gifts that hung off her arm bounced against his side, but Carver didn’t seem to notice.

“Happy Satinalia, Lissy. Vael. I see she warned you,” he said, breaking apart from Melissa with a laugh. “Come on in then, let’s stop bringing in the bloody cold.”

Carver stepped out the way so Sebastian and Melissa could move into the apartment, which smelled like a mix of some delicious, simple food. If there was a place at the Maker’s side for people like him, he wanted it to be just as the scene here was. The apartment was warm with the scent of roasted meat and the light touch of gingerbread. Music was playing in the kitchen as he heard Leandra and Bethany share a laugh, and when he turned to Lissa, she was smiling at him, all worry gone from her eyes. He handed Carver the crockery that he’d been carrying, the one full of soap and the bag hanging off his arm that had the freshly baked breads in it. Carver took them and then Sebastian turned to take Melissa’s coat for her and hang it up.

“That’s an amazing griffon,” Lissa said, looking at his pajamas approvingly. “I can’t wait to see mine.”

“Act surprised when you get yours at least, Vael,” Carver said, but Sebastian shook his head.

“I’ll act grateful, because that’s what I will be,” Sebastian answered, and Melissa reached over and squeezed his hand as he stepped out of his shoes.

“Bloody kiss-arse, that’s what you are, like I said yesterday at the train station. Don’t you ever stop charming the women?” he asked.

“No, I just try harder to start charming everyone else,” Sebastian returned, winking at Carver. Lissa’s brother scowled at him, making Sebastian chuckle.

“Hi Mother, Bethany. We’ve brought the soup and the bread,” Lissa called out, heading into the kitchen with Sebastian right behind her. Carver locked the door, and Sebastian grinned as he greeted Leandra and Bethany with hugs. Bethany was already wearing her pajamas as well, a pink set with red hearts stitched on it. Hers had red piping outlining the zipper and on the cuffs, where Carver’s had been more plain.

He was so happy to be here. The amount of food in here was staggering, and he recognized all of it. Buttered rolls for Carver, rice pudding for him, macaroni and cheese for Melissa, pumpkin pie for Bethany. There was roasted game hens and mashed potatoes, broccoli and salad on the countertop near where Carver put Lissa’s big pot of soup and the two types of bread she’d brought. In a small bag that went into the refrigerator, she’d also made Leandra a separate dinner for tomorrow. Her mother hated leftovers and would be tired of cooking after this big day of it, so she’d made a meal for her to eat tomorrow when she was tired. To Melissa it was just logical to give her mother something for the next day after she’d made them all a huge dinner, but Sebastian was touched by the thought behind it, and how well she knew her mother.

Once Leandra had their food all situated, she gave Sebastian his gift. Despite what she’d said when he took her to the store, she’d already made him a present. Instinct told him that she’d probably also made him the tie he’d requested, and that he’d find it wrapped up this evening when they exchanged gifts. His pajamas were exactly the same as Carver’s, but light blue and worked with the Vael family crest. He was impressed by the amount of artistry she’d put into simple pajamas, but Leandra assured him it was no trouble to embroider. When he thanked her, she told him that the most difficult part was figuring out what color to make them all.

Melissa had gone into the bathroom to change into her pajamas, hers were black and also piped in red, with the Amell family crest embroidered on them. He suspected Bethany might have had some input on her design, since she didn’t wind up with a crest. He folded his gift over his arm and followed Melissa towards the tiny bathroom in the apartment.

“Liss?” he called, and she answered him by opening the bathroom door. It was the smallest full bath he’d ever seen and he couldn’t imagine Carver in it, let alone four people sharing it as it had been when the Hawkes first moved in with Gamlen.

“What’s up?” she asked, leaning against the wall. She was wearing her own black pajamas with the red Amell crest worked into the left breast. Hers, like Bethany’s pajamas, had red piping along the zipper and the cuffs.

“I had something I wanted to give you today, away from everyone else,” Sebastian said. He took out the last gift he had for her, the last piece of jewelry. There was something else in the pile of gifts, it wouldn’t do to come to her family home and not give her something, even if he’d given her things every other night of the week. But this one was special, though perhaps not as valuable as some of the jewelry he’d already given her.

The small box was leather, not velvet and it didn’t have a bow. It didn’t need one, even if the leather was showing its age a little. She opened it to reveal the old, heavy locket inside and took it out of the box. She handed him back the box so she could open the locket inside and read the words within.

“This is gorgeous. Who was Meghan Vael?” she asked.

“We’re not directly related, I think she’d be my um, great-aunt? She was married to my grandfather’s brother, but she was Fereldan too. She’d come to the Free Marches for the Grand Tourney, and met my grandfather and his brother. According to family lore, it was love at first sight.”

“It’s beautiful, Sebastian, my love.”

“I thought that you should have it now. I’ve been told that Ariadne, Graham and Rion’s mother, favored this piece but my mother doesn’t care for it.”

He watched her turn it over in her hands, fingertips delicate tracing over the tiny rubies scattered over the engraved gold face of the locket. Inside it said “For Meghan Vael, princess of Starkhaven”. He hoped to one day add “Melissa Vael, princess of Starkhaven,” to it.

Melissa kissed him, and he was nearly caught off-guard by it, his mind wandering into all the future possibilities he wanted to make happen. Her kiss was slow and deep, uncaring that they were standing under the yellow light of what was likely the smallest bathroom in Kirkwall. She just kept kissing him, her arms encircling him and bringing him closer to her until they had to break apart. When she took a step away and looked up at him, she was glassy-eyed and still had the locket in her hand.

“Help me put it on?” she asked, and held up the thick curtain of her hair. The softly curling hairs at the nape her neck seemed impossibly beautiful to him just then, and Sebastian pressed a kiss to her neck before he clasped the necklace together.

“Go on back before your mother comes casually walking by. I’ve got to put on my gift,” he said, getting out of the way so she could leave. She did, but not before giving him one more soft, sweet kiss.

 

#

Dinner spooled on in a leisurely fashion, with Mother retreating to the couch to start the holiday movie fest after eating a little, and the rest of the sprawling around the table, joking as they went for seconds, and in the case of Sebastian and Carver, thirds and fourths. It was like they were having some kind of grudge match between the two of them to see who could burst first. Sebastian could eat a lot, but he had no idea how much Carver could pack away -- he was dealing with a serious prizefighter in the holiday eating department.

Mother adjourned early to the couch to start up the movies, and as she’d predicted, Carver got the first pick and a Satinalia themed action movie was playing in the background. Both Carver and Sebastian were watching more than talking, but Bethany was going on about the Amell Foundation and eating pumpkin pie while Melissa broke up her gingerbread into vanilla ice cream.

She was getting up to wash out her bowl when a knock came at the door. Melissa set her bowl down and went over to her mother, stopping behind the couch. “Were you expecting anyone else?”

“No,” Leandra said, shaking her head.

Melissa made her way to the door, but felt Sebastian behind her, closing the distance from kitchen to front door in a few swift steps. He waited while she opened it, surprised to see a young woman waiting on the step. She was squinting at the numbers on the door and took a step back when Melissa opened it.

“Hello? Can I help you?” Melissa asked when the woman didn’t say anything immediately. She looked a little confused, and then resigned.

“Hi, I’m sorry to interrupt your Feastday meal, but I’m looking for Gamlen Amell. Is he here? This was listed as his last address,” she said. She was wearing a neat wool coat and a dress and boots, with a knitted scarf around her neck. She looked like she’d just come from her own Feastday dinner, or maybe was running late to one.

Leandra got up off the couch and went to stand beside Melissa. “I’m his sister, Leandra Hawke. Would you like to come in?” she asked, and then her, Melissa and Sebastian had to shuffle out of the way to make room for the newcomer.

“My name’s Charade,” the girl said, and nodded at everyone. By now Carver and Bethany had come from the kitchen, though Bethany was sitting on the floor in front of the couch, searching for another movie to watch. Melissa couldn’t imagine how they must look to her, all four of them in their strange adult onesies and her mother, in the rumpled sleeveless top and fleece pants that might as well have been her pajamas too, still wearing the kerchief on her head that she wore when she cooked. “Look, I’m sorry to barge in on you, but I’ve only got today off work and I wanted to come before it got too late.”

“Not at all, dear. I’m Leandra and these are my children, Bethany, Carver and Melissa, and her boyfriend Sebastian,” she said, pointing at each of them in turn. Melissa gave a small wave when her name was said. “Why are you looking for Gamlen?”

“I don’t mean to cause him no trouble, but the thing is, I’m Mara’s daughter and I need to speak with him. Have you all ever heard him mention my mother, Mara?”

“No, but we’re all from Ferelden. We only came here a few years ago,” Melissa said, shaking her head. There was something familiar about this girl, a face that she could almost swear she’d seen before, despite not knowing her. She had grey eyes and brown hair, and the pallor of someone that worked indoors a lot.

“He’s not Fereldan,” Carver said, pointing a thumb at Sebastian. “But why do you want Gamlen of all people?”

“I wanted to talk to him about my mother. She died recently, and I thought he should know.”

“I am so sorry for your loss, dear. Gamlen’s not available,” Leandra started, but Carver broke in.

“And won’t be any time soon,” he said.

“Is he ill?” Charade said, looking worried. She pursed her lips together and grimaced, and it was then that Melissa understood why Charade was here. Melissa had seen her mother make that same face.

“He’s in prison,” Bethany clarified before their mother could spew more pleasantries. “Be out in the spring.”

“Are you related to us?” Melissa ventured, and Charade gave her a sharp look before nodding.

“I think so. Maybe? I’m not sure yet. I wanted to talk to Gamlen first before I went on and said it. I didn’t know he had a whole family here with him,” Charade said, and for the first time, Melissa noticed how tightly her hands clutched her bag. Her knuckles were white, but when Charade spoke, her voice was clear and even.

“Why, this is wonderful!” Leandra exclaimed. “I can get you in touch with Gamlen and you can go see him, if you’d like. But for now come in and get some food, I wouldn’t feel right if you left without anything. If the boys left any food,” she shot over her shoulder, making Sebastian blush at her gentle reprimand. There was definitely still food left, despite their best efforts.

“It was a delicious dinner, Leandra,” Sebastian offered, trying to fill in the silence.

“Starkhaven and I had a bet. He lost.”

“It’s not over yet, Carver,” Sebastian said, but Melissa held onto his hand, shaking her head.

“Bet with your own food, next time,” Leandra said, but she said it with a smile that showed her good humor about their wager.

Leandra ushered Charade in past where Melissa and Sebastian stood holding hands and into the kitchen. Bethany settled on a movie, seeming to ignore the girl claiming to be Gamlen’s daughter, but Melissa caught her glance darting to the kitchen from time to time. While their mother talked to Charade and plied her with leftover food, Carver picked up the piece of pie he’d put down and demolished it.

A few minutes later, Charade was on her way out of the door, having exchanged phone numbers with both Melissa and Leandra. She had a plate of food, and a small present from the pile. Mother often bought extra presents to give to people that showed up unannounced during the week, a practice that had come in handy in Ferelden. There was always someone coming in or out during this time, if it wasn’t a Chanter or one of the bann’s soldiers on patrol, there were neighbors and old friends that turned up out of nowhere. Here in Kirkwall, no one really knew where they were, and the influx of people had slowed down considerably, but Melissa was glad her mother still kept up the practice. It was beginning to snow again, light flakes just floating on the air as Charade thanked them and made her way out. Leandra stood in the doorway, watching her go with a smile on her face.

They were all suspicious, but Melissa felt like Charade had been telling them the truth. If she’d known Gamlen was in Lowtown and had been interested in his supposed fortune, just coming to this address would have put her off of it. No one with money, means or any choice in the matter would continue to live down here. She seemed like she just wanted to know him, and without her mother in the world anymore, she’d come on the first chance she’d gotten. Little did she know she’d wind up with a house full of relatives instead of the long-lost father she was searching for.

Melissa sat back on the couch and curled into Sebastian’s arm. He curled it around her, bringing her in closer to his side. She didn’t have to ask if he’d had a good time, there were waves of contentment rolling off of him. Bethany pressed play on her movie, ignoring the loud booing that Carver started when he saw the title screen. Romantic comedy wasn’t exactly his favorite brand of entertainment, but they’d already watched his stupid action movie. Leandra sat down and was still grinning, looking at each of them in turn as Carver started to hand out gifts. Melissa pressed one hand to Meghan Vael’s locket around her neck and smiled back at her mother.


End file.
